Love Affair: Angel Grove
by mykkila09
Summary: AU not rangers . yes, it's another t/k. better summary inside
1. Intro

Intro: Characters and Summary

**The Hart-McKnights  
**the parents: Kenrick and Caroline (46 & 42)

the kid (s):  
Alexander Kenrick McKnight (30)  
Andros Kareem and Kimberly Annabelle (17)  
Karone Amelia (16)  
Zhane Daniel Matthews (17)  
Eric Jordan and Connor Jayden (10)

background info: Alex is Ken's son from a previous relationship. Eric and Connor are twins and Alex is their father; their mother's name is Emily. Andros and Kim are twins and Karone is their younger sister. Zhane is more like a surrogate brother. His parents were best friends to Ken and Caroline, but they died in a car accident when Zhane was thirteen, leaving Zhane with the Harts. The family, minus the McKnight's, lives in Bayside. Ken is a lawyer and Caroline is an interior designer. Kim is an avid gymnast with a talent for art, though she prefers the beam to an art pad and she also plays the guitar and sings. Karone is the opposite of her sister; she's a talented gymnast (though no way near Kim) but has a passion for art. Both Zhane and Andros are into both mechanics and sports.

**The Oliver's  
**the parents: James and Melissa (44 & 41)

the kid (s):  
Thomas James (17)  
Nicholas Brandon Russell (12)

background info: James is a construction worker (more like the big boss) and Melissa is a doctor. Tommy and Nick are adopted. Tommy was adopted when he was a baby. His birth mother died hours after giving birth to him; at the time, Melissa was the attending nurse. Nick was adopted when he was seven. Before that, he was bounced around in foster homes. They Oliver's are originally from Arizona, but moved to Angel Grove when the boys were fourteen and nine. Tommy is into martial arts and is on the football team, while Nick is more into mechanics.

**The Scotts  
**the parents: Preston and Alicia (45 & 42)

the kid (s): Jason Lee (17)

background info: the Scotts have lived in Angel Grove their entire lives. Preston works for the AGPD, and Alicia works in the bank. Jason is an avid martial artist and is also on the football team.

**The Kwan-Parks  
**the parents: Marlon and Soo Yung(43 & 40)

the kid (s):  
Adam Jonathan (17)  
Trinity Lei _(Pr. Lay)_ (17)  
Cassandra Michelle (16)

background info: Marlon works for the government, and Soo Yung works for the Safe Havens Airlines. Marlon is Adam's father. His mother died in childbirth. Soo Yung is Trini's mom. Her father left her mother when she was three. Marlon and Soo Yung met when Marlon and Adam moved to Angel Grove when Adam was six because that was where his job based him. They got married two years later. Cassie was adopted when she was nine after a house fire left her an orphan. Trini volunteers at the local orphanage and is good at volleyball, while Adam plays soccer and Cassie likes swimming.

**The Taylors  
**the parents: Clayton and Jillian (43 & 43)

the kid (s):  
Zachary Samuel (17)  
Curtis Michael (16)

background info: Jill is a grade school teacher at Angel Grove Elementary and Clay is an architect and is the head of the architectural section at Bellini Inc. Curtis is Jill's nephew. His mother, Jill's younger sister Mary, was only twenty when she gave birth to him and wasn't sure she could be a good enough parent for him. She gave him to Jill when he was three and he has been like a second son to Clay and Jill ever since. They all live in Angel Grove. Zack is a dancer slash martial artist, while Curtis sticks to dancing.

**The Cranston's  
**the parents: Joshua and Melanie (45 & 43)

the kid (s):  
William David (17)  
Justin Tyler (11)

background info: Josh is a scientist that works for NASA and Melanie owns a bookstore called 'Brain Food'. Billy is a genius who takes after his dad. The family moved to Angel Grove when Billy was five. Justin was adopted when he was five and Billy was ten, and like his older brother and father, is a genius as well.

**The Sloan-Campbell's  
**the parents: Joseph and Nancy (44 & 43)

the kid (s):  
Aisha Karan (17)  
Tanya Marie (17)

background info: Joe and Nancy are Aisha's parents. Nancy is Tanya's aunt. Tanya is from Africa but moved to Stone Canyon when she was six. After two years, her parents moved back to Africa but Tanya wanted to stay with her aunt and cousin. She has lived with them ever since. When the girls were twelve, the family moved to Angel Grove where Joe works in Angel Grove Memorial as a Pediatrician and Nancy works as an Aerobics Instructor.

**The DeSantos'  
**the parents: Juan and Maria (45 & 42)

the kid (s):  
Ricardo Miguel (17)  
Vidalia Carmen (9)  
Madison Natalia (9)

background info: Juan is a cook. Maria is a Social Worker. Vidalia (or Vida as she prefers) and Madison (she prefers Maddie) are twins, with Vida being the oldest. Ricardo (or Rocky) is an avid martial artist that inherited his father's love for cooking. The family lived in Stone Canyon, (Rocky, Aisha and Tanya were good friends), until they moved to Angel Grove when Rocky was thirteen, the girls five. Their dad is the head chef at La Café Linda and their mom works for Angel Grove Social Services. Rocky's on the soccer team with Adam and the two are good friends.

**The Hillards  
**the parents: Hugh and Penelope (45 & 45)

the kid (s):  
Katherine Sarah (17)  
Alexander Mitchell (9)

background info: The Hillard family is originally from Australia. They moved to Angel Grove in the middle of freshman year. Hugh works with Clay Taylor, while Penny is a stay at home mom. Kat is a ballet dancer while her younger brother Xander plays the guitar.

**The Hammonds  
**the parents: Michael and Selene (43 & 42)

the kid (s):  
Ashley (16)

background info: The Hammonds moved to Angel Grove one year before Ashley was born. Mike is a teacher at Angel Grove Elementary with Jill Taylor and Selene works at Safe Haven Airlines with Soo Yung Park. Ashley is interested in art.

**The Johnsons  
**the parents: Anthony and Veronica (44 & 43)

the kid (s):  
Theodore Jay Jarvis (16)

background info: The Johnsons are natives of Angel Grove. Tony, after a successful career as a racecar driver, now owns his own mechanic shop whereas Ronny runs a beauty parlor. Like his dad, TJ is also into racing and can usually be found at his dad's shop.

**

* * *

****  
Summary (1)**: all the 17 year olds are close friends as are the 16 year olds. Xander, Vida and Maddie are best friends, and treat each other like siblings. Justin and Nick, though a year apart, are good friends as well.

**Pairings**: Tommy/Kat (not for long); Jason/Trini; Ashley/Andros; Zhane/Karone; TJ/Cassie; Rocky/Aisha; Adam/Tanya; Tommy/Kim

**Summary (2)**: The Hart Family moves to Angel Grove. They meet the others and friendships are forged. Tommy and Kim form a deeper connection than the others and become closer because of it. Because of that, Kat thinks that Tommy is cheating on her with Kim and decides to cheat on him. But is Tommy really cheating with Kim? And what will happen when Kat's own cheating comes out?

**A/N: **though it focuses on the K/T/K triangle, it will also be about the others and their relationship.


	2. Ch 1: Welcome to Angel Grove

**A/N: **hey guys, this is the first chapter of my new story. I hope you like it.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the idea….I think.

_

* * *

__  
(Part 1: Settling In)_

"Do we really have to move?" a teenage girl asked. The family was moving from Bayside to Angel Grove because of job position for Ken. They were currently packing up the last of their stuff and were closing up the house so that they could leave. Angel Grove was roughly four hours away.

"Yes Kimberly," a woman replied. "Now could you stop whining about it?"

Kim's doe-brown colored eyes widened in disbelief. "Mom, I don't whine."

"Yes you do," a teen boy's voice said.

"Shut up Andros," Kim turned to look at him. "No one asked you."

"Guys," a man's voice injected. "Don't start."

"Sorry dad," they both replied. Kenrick Hart, or Ken as he liked to be called, looked over his two kids. Kim and Andros were twins, and the only major difference between them was their personalities; Andros was the quiet twin and kept to himself, while Kim was the more outspoken and outgoing twin. They both had caramel colored hair and the same doe-brown eyes as their mother. Kim's hair fell mid-back and was usually done in waves, while her brother's hair fell to his shoulder and with the blonde streaks he had going through it, it was considerably lighter than Kim's. Andros was older than Kim by three minutes, though the way he held it over her head made it seem like it was more. Ken could do nothing but to shake his head at them both.

"Kids," another, slightly younger, voice said. "Both of them, you'd think they'd act their age and not younger."

"Oh be quiet Karone," Kim teased. "As I seem to recall you whined like a three year old just two days ago because you didn't want to give up your room."

"Oh yeah," Andros laughed. "You'd think the world was ending with the way she was acting."

Karone blushed at her older siblings teasing. She had the same hair color as them but her eyes were blue like their father. Like Andros, her hair was shoulder length but she didn't have any streaks or highlights running through it, though it was darker than Andros' but lighter than Kim's.

"Yeah well," Karone said. "I turned that room into my own thing and I didn't want to give it up."

"Look at it this way," the last teen, another boy said. "You can decorate the new room from scratch and no one can change it."

"Zhane's right Karone," Caroline Hart told her daughter. "All of you have free reign on your rooms and neither Ken nor I will change anything about it."

"Even if you object to what we do?" Andros asked.

"Even then," Ken smiled at them.

"Sweet," Andros said. "Hey Zhane, now we can put up those posters we wanted to."

"Oh yeah," Zhane smiled. "This is going to be fun." Zhane was roughly the same height as Andros with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Hey Andy," Kim called. "Can you check your bag to see if my iPod is in there?"

"Sure Kimmie," Andros said. He pulled his backpack from the car to look for it.

"Didn't you have it in your room last night?" Karone asked her older sister.

"But I lent it to Andy this morning," Kim said. "There was a song on it that he wanted on his own."

"Oh," Karone said. "OK."

"Found it," Andros smiled as he pulled the pink and white iPod out his bag.

"Thanks Andy," Kim smiled. "You're a lifesaver."

"Yeah, thanks Andy," Zhane teased, knowing full well that Andros only allowed Kim to call him 'Andy'.

"Zhane," Andros warned.

"Sorry," Zhane held up his hands in surrender as he laughed.

"Where'd Kim go?" Caroline asked them as she placed her last bag in the trunk of the car.

"She ran inside for something," Karone answered her mom.

"Well she better hurry up," Ken said as he got in the driver's side. "Or I'll go without her."

"You wouldn't dare," Kim's voice suddenly sounded from the passenger side opposite him.

"And why wouldn't I sweetie?" Ken turned his head to hide the smile from his daughter.

"Because you love me," Kim's face was the picture of innocence.

"Sure I do," Ken teased.

"Hey!" Kim placed her hands on her hips.

"Love you sweetie," Ken said, a smile playing on his lips.

"Don't even Dad," Kim said as she tried to hold in her smile.

"Ken, leave Kim alone," Caroline smiled as she smacked her husband on his arm. "Kimberly, honey, get in the car. It's almost four o'clock and I want us to leave here before rush hour."

"Ok mom," Kim said as she placed her last bag in the trunk. After about fifteen minutes, the empty house was locked up and the family was ready to go.

"Ready guys?' Ken asked.

"Yep," they answered. "We're ready."

"Alright," Ken started the car. "Angel Grove, here we come."

The family pulled out of the driveway, the U-Haul truck attached to their car behind them and turned down the street. After driving about five miles, they turned on to ramp taking them to the highway. The family spent drive talking with each other or in the kids' case, listening to music. The teens wondered what the town was like and the school; Kim wondered if they had a place for her to do her gymnastics, Andros and Zhane both hoped that they had the sports he was interested in, while Karone just hoped the town itself was great. The teens fell asleep about half way there and only woke when they stopped for food. When the car went up the ramp to exit the highway, Kim stirred from her sleep. She stifled a yawn and sighed when she saw the sign.

"Angel Grove, a quarter mile away."

"What was that Kimmie?" Andros asked his sister as he shifted in his seat to wake himself further.

"We're almost there," Kim told him. Karone and Zhane were still asleep, as was there mother. Kim and Andros were sitting in the back seat, with Karone and Zhane in the middle, so they could talk without disturbing anyone. "Hey Andy?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you really feel about this move?" she asked her brother.

Andros tuned to look at his sister. "Honestly? I'm torn."

"How so?" Kim asked.

"Well I'm upset over the fact that we've lived in Bayside our whole life," he said. "All our friends are there and it was home, but I'm a little excited because it's a new place. We've lived in Bayside our whole lives and we don't really go anywhere, so it's a little exciting; and besides, I've seen pictures of the town and it looks alright, especially the house."

"Where did you see pictures of the house?" Kim was confused. She knew that only their parents had been to the house since they bought it.

"I looked it up," Andros answered. "And it's amazing; but the reason why I love it is because it's bigger than before which means that the bedrooms are bigger, and it has a pool."

"Seriously?" Kim asked. "Mom and dad actually bought a house with a pool?"

"Yeah," he smiled at her.

"Even after all that drama with Mrs. Daniel and her pool?" Kim asked again, she was truly finding it a little hard to believe.

"I don't think they minded that she had a pool," Andros said. "I think what bothered her was the way Mrs. Daniel acted."

"So we have a huge house with a pool," Kim said. "And it's big enough that even the bedrooms are roomy."

"Yep," he said.

"It'll be nice to have a room with more than enough space if I wanted to switch it up," Kim sighed.

"I heard that," Andros added. It was silent for a few minutes before Kim spoke again.

"What do you think the school's like?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "Hopefully it's as good as or better than Bayside High."

"I hope the _teachers_ are better than Bayside's," Kim corrected.

"I can understand that," he laughed. "Remember Mr. McKay?"

"Of course," Kim laughed. "I swear to God that man had no clue about half the stuff he was teaching."

"It's no wonder that we passed the class," Andros smiled.

"I know," Kim chuckled. The two reminisced over the rest of their teachers and some of their friends. They were so into it that they didn't realize they had reached their destination until Karone yelled at them.

"Guys!"

"Karone," Kim turned to her sister, surprise in her eyes. "When did you get up?"

"Zhane and I have been up for the past ten minutes," she answered. "But you two were so deep in your conversation that you didn't notice."

"Well what'd you want?" Andros asked.

"We're here," Zhane was the one that answered him.

"Seriously?" Kim asked as she looked out. "Let me out."

"Ok," Karone said. "Hold on." She unlocked the door and opened it, stepping away so Andros and Kim could come out. When the two were outside, they stopped and looked up at the house in surprise. Karone and Zhane came to stand next to them and all four were speechless.

"Andy," Kim's voice was soft with awe as she kept her gaze on the house. "You were right, this place is beautiful." She turned to them. "Come on, let's go check it out."

The four kids ran through the door, ignoring the amused calls of their parents.

"Did they forget that they had to help carry this stuff inside?" Caroline asked her husband.

"I think either they did," Ken answered as he started unloading their things. "Or they were too excited and caught up in seeing the house to think about it."

"It's a good thing we came a few weeks ago and decorated most of the rooms," Caroline said. "Because I doubt they'll even remember us or that they could help."

Ken chuckled at his wife's words. They grabbed the stuff that they had already taken out of the vehicle and went inside behind the teens. They had just entered the door, when the teens came back downstairs.

"Please say we're staying here permanently?" Karone pleaded.

"Yes," Ken smiled. "We are."

"Yes!" the four said together.

"So I take it you guys love the house?" Caroline asked.

"Of course," Kim smiled.

"Good," Caroline said. "Now can we get some help in bringing in the rest of the stuff before we take the official tour of the house?"

"Sure," Zhane shrugged, as did the others. When they had finished, they took the tour. They started with downstairs; when you come through the front door, the stairway leading upstairs was directly in front of it, on the left was the walkway leading into the living room which had a fireplace on the wall directly across from the entrance. Ken and the boys had set up the TV, which they had mounted on the wall on the right of the fireplace, the room had three large couches (that could fit four people), and a small one person couch. On the on the right of the staircase was a hallway that led you to the kitchen. On the opposite side of the kitchen was the door to the den which was a smaller version of the living room except it had a piano, and a gaming system, the den was pretty much the entertainment room. One door down was a bathroom and a door down from that was the washroom which was at the end of the hallway and had a door leading outside. On the same side as the kitchen, opposite to the washroom, was the door leading to the basement. The family went down the stairs and saw that the basement was laid out like a smaller version of the den. It had a door on the far right side of the stairs which led them to a bathroom. Unlike the den upstairs, the one in the basement had a fully functioned mini fridge.

"Whoa," Zhane breathed out.

"This is almost as cool as the den upstairs," Andros said.

"I know," Zhane said. They went back up stairs and decided to check out the backyard. When they got through the door, they stopped. On the left side was a very large pool and on the right was pure green grass.

"Ok," Karone said. "This is even cooler than the den or the basement."

"I agree," Kim nodded her head. They walked off the mini porch and stepped fully outside looking around the space. They saw a swing-chair just on the left side of the door while on the right side there were a couple of chairs. Just beyond the pool there was even more grass. Since it was getting dark, the lights for the back were on, which made the sight even more appealing.

"We have a huge backyard," Andros said.

"I love it," Kim, Zhane and Karone spoke as one.

"Alright, while I know that you guys would rather stay out there all night," Ken said. "We still have to check out the upstairs."

"And sort out the bedrooms," Caroline added. The words were barely out of her mouth before the kids rushed past them and up the stairs. Caroline could only shake her head in amusement. By the time the two got up stairs, the kids had already chosen their rooms. They had left the room at the end of the hallway for them, which of course was, the master bedroom. The upstairs had two bathrooms, which made the teens very happy. Kim and Karone took the rooms next to each other on the left side of the hallway, while Andros and Zhane took the ones on the right. There was a bathroom connecting the rooms, which meant that the girls shared one while the boys shared the other. Andros chose the room that was directly opposite to Kim's as that was the closest he could be with his twin. The girls shared a balcony, as did the boys and their parents. While the kids set up their bedrooms, Caroline went downstairs to make a light dinner for her family. Twenty minutes later, she was finished and was in time for the rest of the family came downstairs.

"I made dinner," she said.

"Thanks mom," the teens replied.

"Thanks honey," Ken added.

"You welcome," Caroline said. After a few minutes of eating, she spoke again. "So what are you guys going to do tomorrow?"

"We thought we'd go and have a look around town," Kim said.

"Hopefully they have youth center or something here," Andros spoke after her. "That way, we'd have something to do before school starts on Monday."

"I can't believe it's a Friday night and we're staying at home," Zhane sighed. "What have our lives come to?" the others laughed at him. Dinner after that was fairly quiet and when they were done, the family went to bed. Kim and Karone sat out on their balcony for a few hours talking before they went to their respective rooms to sleep; Zhane and Andros a small pillow fight which started in Andros' room before ending in Zhane's. The two boys cleaned up their mess before going to sleep as well. Soon, the Hart household was quiet as its occupants surrendered themselves to the dream world.

_(Part 2: First Glances)_

The next day, true to their words, the teens were gone. They had left early that morning, about eight a.m., and had decided to walk around town. As they walked, they were happy with what they saw; the town people seemed very friendly and they happy that most stores were within walking distance to their house. They passed by the high school, stopped to look at it for a few minutes before continuing on their walk. They saw the sign for the park and were about to head over there when Zhane saw something he thought was interesting.

"Hey look," he pointed to it.

"_Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar,_" Andros read. "Well, no harm in checking it out." the teens shrugged as one and made their way towards the building. When they got inside, they were surprised. When they had read gym, they didn't really expect to see a karate mat or a balance beam in the room; they also didn't really expect to see so many tables either.

"I think this is more than a gym and juice bar," Kim said.

"It is," a voice said behind them. The turned in surprise and saw a friendly man standing there.

"It's also the youth center," he said. "Sorry to startle you."

"It's fine," Zhane said.

"I'm Ernie," the guys said. "The owner of this place; you guys are new around here aren't you?"

"Yeah," Andros said. "We just moved here yesterday."

"You're the guys that live just a few blocks from the park?" Ernie asked. "The Harts, if I'm right."

"That's us," Karone said. "But how did you know that?"

"Angel Grove is not that big of a town," Ernie answered. "So can I know the names of who I'm talking to?"

"Oh sorry," Andros said. "I'm Andros and this is my twin sister Kim, my younger sister Karone and Zhane."

"Hi," the three said.

"Nice to meet you guys," Ernie said. "Are you guys going to AGHS?"

"Yeah," Kim said. "We enrolled before we came here, so we get to start with everyone on Monday instead of waiting a week or so."

"That's good," Ernie said. "Well, I'd love to stay and get to know you some more, but I have work to do."

"OK," Karone said. "We were going to take a walk around the park."

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Ernie said.

"Bye Ernie," they said. "It was really nice to meet you."

"You too," Ernie waved as they walked out. Five minutes later, a group of teens walked inside. Ernie smiled and called out to them, only to see that one of them was not there.

Andros and the others walked the short distance to the park. They were talking about the center and Ernie.

"He seems like a really nice guy," Kim said.

"I know," Zhane agreed. "And we now have someplace to hang out."

"True," Andros said.

"I like it here," Karone said. "It's peaceful, a lot more peaceful than Bayside."

"I agree," Kim said. "Especially this park; so much better." She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky. She smiled as she felt the breeze brush across her face. Letting out a small laugh, she ran off and threw her body into a forward flip, flipping a few times, before coming to a stop in a handstand. She opened her legs into a spilt and slowly lowered her body to the grass. Balanced on her forearms, she brought her legs back together before bringing them over her head, leaving her body in a bridge. She held it for a few minutes before rising up to stand on her feet. Seeing Andros and the others giving her applause, she smiled and took a bow.

"And there you have it ladies and gentleman," Andros said. "The next Olympic winner."

"Thank you, thank you," Kim said. She laughed as she walked back over to them.

"I think you meant the next 'Special Olympics Winner'," Zhane laughed.

"Zhane!" Kim said.

He laughed as he back away. He turned to run, but was stop by Kim jumping on to his back.

"Ahhh," he yelled. "Help me! Get this thing off of me!"

"Andy, Karone," Kim said. "You guys better stay out of it."

"Sure Kim," Andros smiled.

"Whatever you say sis," Karone added. The two looked at each other before jumping on them. They went down in a heap. The four teens were having fun. Kim got herself from under the others and stood a few feet away laughing at them. She didn't notice the guy looking at her.

…

A young man, dressed in a white tank top with a black and white track pants, was on his way to meet his friends at the local youth center. He was running late, so he decided to take a shortcut through the park. He was almost to the youth center when he heard a girl laughing. He stopped to look and felt his breath catch. He noticed that it was a girl about his age, though she was shorter than him. The reason he had become breathless at the sight of her was because, in that moment, she had brought her hand up to move a strand of hair from her face and when she turned her body slightly, the sunlight had caught strands of her hair giving them a highlighted look while her face appeared to glow. He was entranced.

'_Oh man,' _he thought to himself. _'She's beautiful.' _He did see that she was with two guys and a girl, but they didn't really register with him as he was too focused on her. After a few minutes, he realized that he was staring and shook his head. _'Got to go.' _He turned to leave, but paused to look back. _'I hope I see her again.' _He shook his head once more and turned to head to the youth center. If he had waited a few more minutes, he would've seen her turn to look at where he was.

…

Kim laughed as she watched the others try to untangle themselves. Being as flexible as she was, it was easy for her to get out.

"You guys need some help?" she teased.

"Not from you," Karone's voice sounded from under Andros. Kim just laughed. Just as they got untangled, she felt as if she was being watched. Taking a subtle glance around, she noticed a guy standing a distance away looking at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she took him in. She saw that he was taller than her and he had shoulder length, dark, mahogany locks. He was well muscled and overall he had a good body. _'Gorgeous….absolutely gorgeous.' _She glanced at the others and realized they were just sitting around. This time, she turned her body full around, hoping to catch his eye, but when she looked, she saw that he was leaving. _'Damnit, I missed him.' _

"Hey Kim, you ok?" Karone called out to her sister.

"Yeah I'm fine," she answered.

"What do you say we finish our walk?" Zhane suggested.

"Sounds good," Andros nodded.

"Alright," Kim smiled. They got up and started walking. As they walked, Kim's thoughts drifted back to the guy. _'I wonder who he was.' _She bit her lip. _'He was so handsome.' _She sighed. _'I hope I see him again.' _She shook her head to erase the thoughts and concentrated on the walk. But even then, one final thought came up. _'Maybe I'll see him in school.'_

"You spacing out on us Kimmie?" Andros cut into her thoughts.

"I'm just thinking," Kim told him.

"About what?" Karone asked.

The guy's face popped up into her head, and she turned to her sister. "You were right, Angel Grove is definitely likeable."

* * *

_Teaser for next chapter:_

_"You're new around here aren't you?"_

_"Yeah," she smiled at him as she tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm Kimberly."_

_"Tommy."_


	3. Ch 2: New Friends

**A/N: **so here it is….the second chapter. Thanks to everyone that reviewed and put this story on alert/favorites. You guys are the best. Well, enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **instead of repeating this every chapter, I'm just going to say this here for the final time: when it comes to the owning of the rangers…simply put….I DON'T; though I wish I did.

**Original Posting Date: **Wed. 13th Jan. 2010

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

"_Alright," Kim smiled. They got up and started walking. As they walked, Kim's thoughts drifted back to the guy. 'I wonder who he was.' She bit her lip. 'He was so handsome.' She sighed. 'I hope I see him again.' She shook her head to erase the thoughts and concentrated on the walk. But even then, one final thought came up. 'Maybe I'll see him in school.'_

"_You spacing out on us Kimmie?" Andros cut into her thoughts. _

"_I'm just thinking," Kim told him._

"_About what?" Karone asked. _

_The guy's face popped up into her head, she shook her head and turned to her sister. "You were right, Angel Grove is definitely likeable."_

_(Now)_

Monday morning saw the Hart household up at six a.m. Caroline fixed breakfast, while everyone else got ready.

Kim, knowing that she might have to rush to the bathroom before her sister, had picked out her clothes the night before. She chose a pair of blue jeans with a pink and white tank top and white flip-flops. Fixing her bed, she laid them out before grabbing her towel and headed to the shower. Realizing that she had made it before Karone, she brushed her teeth before heading into the shower. She was lathering up her skin, when she heard the door open.

"I can't believe you beat me in here," Karone said.

"That's because I got up earlier," Kim answered back. "And because I know you; if you had gotten here first, you'd spend like an hour in here."

"I would not," Karone said as she wet her toothbrush.

"You did before," Kim retorted as she shampooed her hair. She didn't hear anything, so she knew that Karone had already started on her teeth. She rinsed her hair before applying the condition. Waiting for it to set, she washed out her rag and hung it on the bar on the side of the shower wall. When she was done, she rinsed her hair and skin. She turned to the shower off and grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself as she stepped out on the mat.

"It's about time," Karone mock scolded.

"Oh please," Kim rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. "Just get in the bath so I can blow dry my hair."

"Alright, alright," Karone said. She took off her pajamas, before stepping into the shower. Kim plugged in the blow dryer and turned it on low. She then went into her bedroom and got dressed. When she was done, she walked back into the bathroom, just in time to here the shower start up again. Knowing her sister like she did, she decided to tease her.

"Done already?" she smiled. "The world must be ending."

"Ha ha," Karone replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you must know, I'm rinsing my hair out and then I'm going to finish my shower."

"You should hurry," Kim said as she turned the blow dryer up and brought it to her hair. "It's seven o'clock and we have to leave here by seven thirty the latest if we want to make it to school on time."

"Isn't mom giving us a ride?" she asked as she lathered her skin.

"No," Kim answered. "Since it's their first day as well, they want to get their jobs pretty early."

"So," Karone said. "We're walking."

"Yep," Kim said. She brushed her hair out as she switched the dryer from one hand to the other.

"Great," Karone said.

"It's not like it's that long of a walk Karone," Kim said. "Besides, it's nice out." she turned the dryer off, and brushed her hair. She then grabbed the curling iron and plugged it in, turning it on high power. Karone came out of the shower about the same time she started curling her hair.

"Plug in the dryer for me when you're done," Karone told her as she walked into her own room.

"Ok," Kim answered. Ten minutes later, Kim was done curling her hair, so she did what her sister asked and plugged in the dryer. She then walked into her sister's room and saw that Karone wore knee high jeans with a grey tank top and grey pumas.

"Dryer's plugged up," Kim said.

Karone looked up at her sister and just shook her head; Kim had done her hair in big, loose curls. "I will never understand how you have the longest hair, yet can fix it in so little time."

"It's a gift," Kim smiled. "Now can you hurry up and go do _your_ hair? It's almost seven thirty."

"Ok, ok," Karone said as she walked into the bathroom. "Sheesh."

Kim shook her head before going over to her own room. She grabbed her book-bag and headed downstairs. When she got there, she saw that her brother and Zhane were already there and her parents were getting ready to leave.

"Where's your sister?" Ken asked.

"She's fixing her hair," Kim answered as she grabbed a plate and piled eggs and pancake on it.

"She better be done in time," Caroline said. "Because she is not leaving the house without eating breakfast."

"She knows," Andros said.

"Nice shirt Hulk," Kim said to her brother. He was wearing a green t-shirt that had the words _'Don't make me angry….you wouldn't like it,' _and blue jeans.

"Thank you," he smiled. "Zhane wanted to wear his, but I told him it'd look weird of both of us wore the same shirt."

"It would," Kim agreed with her twin. She then looked over at Zhane; he was wearing a red muscle shirt with an unzipped grey hoodie over it and blue jeans. "Besides, you look good in what you're wearing."

"I know," Zhane smiled.

"Cocky much?" Kim teased.

"You know it," Zhane smirked.

"When is that girl going to come down?" Caroline asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm right here," Karone said as she walked into the kitchen. She had her hair in tiny curls that she had left down so that they framed her face.

"Jeez, no wonder you took forever," Andros shook his head.

"Perfection can't be rushed," Karone said as she made up a plate for herself. As she sat down, she saw what Andros was wearing. "Nice shirt."

"Thank you," Andros smirked.

"Well, we've got to go," Ken said as he walked into the kitchen. "We'll see you guys tonight."

"We might stop off at the youth center before we come home," Kim said.

"That's ok," Caroline said. "Just as long as you're home in time for dinner."

"Alright," the teens nodded. "See you guys."

"Bye," Caroline and Ken replied before they left. Kim turned to her siblings and was going to say something to Karone when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhane staring at her sister. _'Hmmm, interesting.' _

"So Zhane," Karone spoke, said guy jumped slightly, a faint blush on his cheek caught by no one except Kim.

"What?"

"How come you didn't wear your Hulk shirt too?" she asked.

"We figured it'd be too weird," he answered.

"Makes sense," she said. Her eyes gave his body a once over. "You look good in that anyways."

"I know," he said, though another blush on his face. Within minutes, the four were finish eating, so they grabbed their book-bags and headed out. Zhane was walking behind Karone, and he couldn't help but to admire the way her ass moved in her jeans.

'_Wait, what am I doing?' _he thought. _'She's my best friend's sister….practically my sister. I shouldn't be checking her out.' __**but you're not really related. **__'It doesn't matter.' __**Yes it does. Just admit it; you're starting to have feelings for her. **__'No, I can't.' __**stop fighting; it won't do you any good. **__'I don't have feelings for her.' __**Denial aint just a river in Egypt; you like her. **__'I can't…'_

"Zhane?" Andros' voices interrupted his thoughts. "Are you ok, man?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said as he shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"OK," Andros nodded. The four walked out the front door, with Andros locking the door behind him and headed off to school.

…

They arrived at school with only five minutes to spare. Since Karone was in a grade below them, her locker and homeroom was on a different floor; saying bye, she left the others and headed to the second floor. Kim, Andros and Zhane hurried to their lockers before heading to homeroom, which to their luck, was on the main floor. They were halfway to homeroom, when Kim realized that she had forgotten her notebook.

"Crap!" she said as she searched through her bag.

"What is it?" Andros asked.

"I forgot my notebook," she answered.

"So?" Zhane asked. "It's homeroom."

"I know," Kim said. "But remember how homeroom was at Bayside?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded.

"I'll meet you guys there," she told them.

"You're sure?" Andros asked. "I can walk back with you."

"Andy," Kim smiled up at him. "I'll be fine. Save a seat for me."

"Alright," he said as she turned and walked back down the hallway. Andros and Zhane reached class just in time for the first bell. They looked around and saw two seats next to two guys; one fat, with a sleeveless, black, leather jacket and a leather cap and a skinny one with an earring in his ear and was picking his nose. They looked at each other.

"Hell no," Zhane said. They looked around again and saw a few empty seats next to a group in the back. Deciding that was a safe bet, they headed towards them. When they got there, Andros decided to do the polite thing.

"Can we sit here?" he asked. "Or are they taken?"

"No it's fine," a guy in red answered.

"Thanks," Zhane said. They sat down, while Andros placed his book-bag in the seat next to him for Kim.

"So are you guys new here?" a Vietnamese girl in yellow asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Yeah," Andros said. "We're new. We just moved here a few days ago actually."

"Really?" an African-American guy in black asked. "From where?"

"Bayside," Zhane answered. "It's like a four hour drive from here."

"Cool," a Spanish guy in red said. "I'm Rocky by the way; Rocky DeSantos."

"Oh I'm sorry," the Vietnamese girl spoke again. "I'm Trini Park and this is my brother Adam."

"Hi," Adam smiled and nodded to them.

"Zack Taylor," the African-American guy said.

"Jason Scott," the guy that spoke first added. "Trini's boyfriend."

"I'm Aisha Campbell," an African-American girl smiled.

"Billy Cranston," A blond wearing glasses nodded to them.

"And I'm Tanya Sloan," an African-American girl said. "Aisha's cousin and Adam's girlfriend."

"I'm Andros Hart and this is Zhane Matthews."

"I don't think I've ever heard those kinds of names before," Tanya smiled at them.

"You probably haven't," Andros smiled at her. "My sister Karone and I were named by our uncles, who were drunk at the time."

"You have a sister named Karone?" Adam asked.

"Yep," Andros nodded.

"Are you kidding me?" Jason asked.

"No," he shook his head. "Kim and Alex are the lucky ones to have normal names."

"Who are Kim and Alex?" Zack asked.

"Kim is my twin sister and Alex is our older brother," Andros said.

"You have a twin sister?" Billy asked. "Might I inquire as to where she is?"

"Yes I do," Andros said. "And she had to go back to her locker for something she forgot."

"Well, what about you?" Trini turned to Zhane. "How did you get your name?"

"My great-grandmother named me," Zhane said. "Half my family thought she was senile, but my mom refused to change it."

Adam was about to say something when the door opened and one of their friends walked in. The guy headed to them and dropped into the seat in front of the one Andros had his bag in.

"Hey guys," he said.

"Hey Tommy," Jason greeted. "How come you're so early? Did your mom drop you off?"

"No," Tommy laughed as he shook his head. "I actually got up early." He turned fully towards them and saw the two newcomers. "New guys?"

"Yeah," Andros said. "I'm Andros."

"Zhane."

"Nice to meet you guys," Tommy said. He was about to say something else, but was interrupted by their teacher, Mrs. Appleby.

"Ok, class," she said. "Settle down. I need to take attendance."

"Where's Kim?" Andros asked. Hearing the name, Tommy turned to him in slight shock. Before he could open his mouth to speak, the door opened.

"Hi there," Mrs. Appleby said.

"Hi," Kim said as she walked in. "Sorry I'm late."

"No big deal honey," Mrs. Appleby said. "Find a seat anywhere."

"Ok," Kim smiled. "Thank you." She looked out, noticing the class' attention was on her; with some of the boys staring a little creepily at her. She looked around and spotted her brother and Zhane at the back, along with a familiar face. She headed toward them and smiled when Andros moved his bag for her to sit down.

"Thanks Andy."

"No problem," Andros smiled at her.

"So we meet again," Tommy smiled at her, to the shock of the others.

_(Earlier)_

Kim hurried to her locker, not wanting to be late on her first day. She had her head slightly down and was so focused on getting to her locker than she didn't even see the guy heading her way. The two collided and fell to the floor, but with quick reflexes, the guy rotated their positions so that he would hit the floor and she fell on him.

"Oomph," both said.

"I'm sorry," Kim said, as she braced her hands on his chest to attempt to push herself up. When she looked up, their eyes caught and both looked at each other in surprise.

"You're the guy/girl from the park," they said simultaneously.

"I don't believe it," Kim said, as she stared into his eyes. At the park, because of the distance between them, she hadn't been able to tell his eye color, but now she could see that they were a dark, chocolate color and she felt as if she was drowning in them.

"Me either," the guy said; though he was faring no better. He saw that her eyes were doe-brown in color and they seemed to sparkle. After a few minutes of staring, they two finally realized how they were.

"I should probably get up," Kim laughed. She braced on his chest and pushed herself off. When she stood, she held out a hand to help him off the floor.

"Sorry about that," the guy said. "I didn't see you."

"It's ok," Kim replied. "I wasn't paying attention either."

"That's ok," he smiled at her. "I wasn't either." He stared at her for a few seconds, his head tilted slightly to the side. "You're new around here, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm Kimberly."

"Tommy," he said as he held out his hand. When they shook hands, each felt a jolt travel though their bodies. They pulled back their hands quickly, opting to ignore what had happened.

"Why were you running anyways?" Kim asked.

"My friends like to tease me about being late all the time," Tommy said. "So I got up early to be here on time. Speaking of which, I've got to go." He started backing away.

"Ok," Kim said. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Sure," he said as he looked behind him to make sure he wasn't going to run into anything. He turned back to her, an idea in mind. "Hey?"

"Yeah?" Kim looked up at him.

"Do you wanna do something after school?" he asked. "Nothing major, just hang out with me and my friends at the youth center…maybe grab a smoothie?"

"Sure," Kim smiled. "That sounds like fun."

"Ok," Tommy smiled back. "I'll see you."

"Bye," she bit her lip as she watched him turn and hurry off. "Definitely better than Bayside."

_(Now)_

"I see that," Kim laughed.

"Wait," he said. "If it was here you were coming, then why'd you take so long?"

"Principal stopped me," Kim said. "He wanted to know why I was walking the halls after the bell rang, so I told him I was a new student and I kinda got a little lost and if he wanted me to get to homeroom on time then he should probably let me go."

"Damn girl," Tommy laughed.

"Uh, excuse me," Andros interrupted them. "But how do you know each other?"

"We literally ran into each other when I went to my locker," Kim said, smiling slightly at the protective tone in her brother's voice.

"How do you know her?" Tommy asked, part of him hoping he wouldn't say they were together. _'Why would I care if they're together or not?'_

"She's my sister," Andros replied. Still though, when he said that, Tommy couldn't help the relief that went through him.

"So this is your twin," Rocky said as he looked over at Kim. "I'm Rocky DeSantos and you're brother didn't mention how beautiful you were."

"Rocky," Aisha warned as she smacked him over the head.

"Damn," he smiled. 'Sha that hurt."

"Good," she crossed her arms over chest.

"Aww, baby," he grabbed her hands. "You know that you're the only girl for me."

"Are you guys dating?" Kim laughed.

"Unfortunately," Aisha sighed before she started laughing at Rocky's face. "Aww, I didn't mean it baby. I'm Aisha by the way, Aisha Campbell."

"Kimberly Hart," Kim smiled at her. "His twin sister."

"Nice to meet you," Aisha smiled back. "These are Jason Scott, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston, Tanya Sloan, Adam and Trini Park, and you've already met Tommy."

"Nice to meet you guys," Kim smiled at each of them.

"Are you guys done?" Mrs. Appleby said from in front of them.

"Sorry Mrs. A," Adam said.

"It's ok," she replied. She took attendance, which lasted about ten minutes. Since their next class wasn't until nine, they kids spent the rest of the time talking. Kim, Andros and Zhane got to know Jason and the others.

Jason talked with the three and he was a little surprised at how easy they had fit in. He could already see the bond forming and knew that they had just made three friends that would last. He wasn't blind however, and he could see a stronger connection between Tommy and Kim and he knew that it would only develop over time and become even stronger. He saw the looks that the two exchanged and the way their smiles seem to go a little brighter when they talked directly to each other. _'It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.' _

He wasn't the only to see it either; Andros could see it as well. He knew that his sister was a very friendly person but when it came to guys, she was a little wary, especially after her last boyfriend. But he could see the way she was relaxed around Tommy though, more relaxed than she ever was with another guy. He didn't want to see her hurt again so he decided that would only interfere if he thought it was needed.

Before they knew it, the bell had rung and it was time to go to their classes. The girls all had the same class, Home Economics while the boys had Woodwork. The group walked back to their lockers, which coincidentally happened to by right next to each other. They grabbed their books and said goodbye; the girls went one way, while the boys went the other.

"So Kim," Aisha turned slightly and smiled at her. "Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No," Kim shook her head. "Last one was two years ago; been single since."

"Wow," Tanya said. "Then I guess you shouldn't let that get out."

"Why not?" Kim looked at her, her confusion evident.

"Because you'll find yourself being hit on by every guy here," Trini said. "I don't know if you noticed, but practically all the guys in the class were staring at when you walked in….even after you started talking with us, most of them were still looking."

"I did notice that when I walked in that I was being stared at," Kim said. "But I didn't realize that they did it even after I sat down."

"They did," Aisha said.

"Great," Kim groaned.

"Don't worry," Tanya laughed. "We'll protect you."

"Oh thank you," Kim breathed which caused the other girls to laugh. They were still laughing as they made their way into the classroom. They spotted some empty desks in the back of the middle row and headed to it. The four girls sat down talked a bit more before the door opened and their teacher walked in.

"Good morning class," she said. "My name is Ms. Jones and I'm your Home Ec. Teacher for the rest of the school."

"Good morning Ms. Jones," the class replied in unison. The teacher had the students pull out their texts and then went through attendance and introductions. The class was spent learning the basics of Home Economics and the girls had fun.

_(With the boys)_

"So Andros," Rocky said. "How come you guys moved here?"

"My dad is a lawyer," Andros answered. "And he got the offer about a job here in town and since it was better than the one he had, he took it and we moved."

"What about you guys?" Zhane asked. "Have you lived here long?"

"Well," Jason said. "Zack, Trini and I have lived here our whole lives; Billy moved here back when we were in Kindergarten and Adam moved here when we were in first grade."

"But I thought Trini was your sister?" Andros asked.

"She is," Adam answered. "Our parents married each other when we were eight."

"Oh ok," Andros said.

"And I moved here back in eighth grade," Tommy said.

"And I moved here in seventh grade," Rocky said.

"So you guys have known each other a while," Zhane said.

"Yeah," Zack said. "What about you guys? How long have you known each other?"

"Pretty much since we were babies," Andros answered. "Our parents were best friends."

"So did your parents move here too?" Adam asked.

"Nah," Zhane shook his head. "My parents died four years ago."

"I'm sorry," Adam said, worried that he might've brought back a painful memory.

"It's cool," Zhane shrugged. "The Harts took me in, so I'm still with family; being with them is like my parents still being here."

"So Tommy," Jason looked over at his best friend. "What's up between you and Kim?"

"Yeah man," Zack smiled. "You guys were too cozy for having just met each other."

"I too would like to know the answer to that question," Billy said as he adjusted his glasses.

"So would I," Andros said.

"Nothing's going on," Tommy said. "She and I are only friends….at least I hope that's what we are."

"You are," Andros told him. "Trust me."

"Trust him," Zhane added. "Kim makes friends easily, no doubt about that, but she doesn't relax herself so quickly after just meeting anyone...especially a guy."

"She's only done that once before," Andros added. "Back at Bayside."

"We're here," Rocky interrupted them. When they looked up, they realized that they had talked the entire way to the class. Shrugging in unison, they walked into the class. Within minutes, their teacher walked in.

"My name is Mr. Samuels and I'll be your Woodwork teacher for the rest of the school year."

_(With Karone)_

Karone hurried up the steps after she left the others. She heard the first bell ring and her steps quickened even more. As she turned a corner, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw the lockers. Quickly finding hers, she dropped her stuff off before hurrying to homeroom. Stopping outside the door, she took a few calming breaths before opening the door.

"Hi," she said.

"Hello," the female teacher said. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Karone replied. "My name is Karone Hart, I'm new here."

"Oh Ms. Hart," the female's eyes widened in recognition. "Welcome."

"Thank you," Karone smiled.

"You can sit over by Ashley," the teacher pointed to a brunette in a yellow tank top in the back.

"Alright," Karone said as she made her way over there. When she was near, Ashley moved her bag from the chair so that she could sit down. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ashley smiled at her. "So you're new around here, huh?"

"Yeah," Karone said. "Karone Hart."

"I'm Ashley Hammond," she said. "And this is Cassie Park; my best friend."

"Hi," an Asian girl in pink smiled over at her.

"Hi," Karone smiled back.

"So where are you from?" Ashley asked.

"Bayside," Karone answered. "My family moved here a few days ago."

"Does it feel strange?" Cassie asked. "You know? Moving to a new town."

"A little," Karone said. "I mean, when you've lived somewhere your whole life, only to move to a new place where you don't know anybody…it can throw you out of whack."

"Me and Ash have lived here our whole lives," Cassie said. "The only time we've ever left town is for vacation or school trips."

"Seriously?" Karone looked at them in slight shock.

"Yep," Ashley nodded. "Well, actually my parents did move once; they moved here a year before I was born and they've been here ever since."

"What about your parents?" Karone turned to Cassie.

"My parents died in a fire when I was nine," Cassie told her.

"I'm so sorry," Karone's hand flew to her mouth. "I hope I didn't bring up any bad memories."

"No it's ok," Cassie smiled to reassure her. "I was one of the lucky ones."

"How so?" Karone was a little confused.

"Because I was adopted a few weeks after the fire," Cassie said. "I was an only child before but now I have two older siblings; Trini and Adam. The Parks really helped me through my parents' deaths, especially Trini and Adam; I'm really thankful for them."

"I understand that," Karone said. "My family went through something like that a few years ago."

"What happened?" Ashley asked.

"Well, my parents knew this couple; Nikolas and Natalia Matthews," Karone started. "They met each other since college and were best friends. A few years ago, Nikolas and Natalia died in a car accident; their son was left to us."

"Oh my God," Ashley whispered.

"I know," Karone said. "Kim, Andros and I knew Zhane since we were born, but it was still a little tough to go from visiting each other's house to living together."

"Who are Kim and Andros?" Cassie asked.

"My older sister and brother," Karone answered. "They're twins and juniors."

"Maybe we'll meet them," Ashley said.

"Definitely," Karone smiled.

"Ok class," their teacher said. "Attention. Good morning. My name is Mrs. Francine Sheffield and I'm your homeroom teacher."

"Morning Mrs. Sheffield," the class replied as one. She took attendance before explaining some things about their current semester. By the time she was done, the bell rang and they left to go to their lockers. They grabbed their Social Politics books and headed off to their class. They got inside and were looking around for a seat when Ashley heard her name.

"Hey Ash," a voice said. "Cassie, over here."

The girls looked up and saw a guy waving them over. They smiled and headed to him, grabbing the three empty seats that were around him and his friend.

"Hey guys," Ashley said.

"Hey," they answered.

"Guys, this is Karone Hart," Ashley said. "She just moved here. Karone this is TJ Johnson and Curtis Taylor."

"Nice to meet you," Karone smiled at them.

"Same here," Curtis and TJ answered.

"Why weren't you guys in homeroom?" Cassie asked them.

"We had to help Mr. Michaels with moving some equipment," TJ answered. "Mrs. Sheffield knew where we were."

"Ok," Cassie said. Curtis was going to say something, but was stopped when their teacher walked in.

"Hello," the teacher said. "My name is Mr. Petersen and welcome to Social Problems."

With that, he started with attendance and had the students tell a little bit about themselves. When they were done, he explained to them what the class was about and what he expected of them. Throughout the entire course of the class, TJ and Cassie sneaked glances at each other when the other wasn't looking; seeing it, Ashley could only shake her head with a slight smile. The class passed surprisingly fast and the students made their way to their lockers to switch books for their next classes. The rest of the morning went by quickly and it was time for lunch. Putting their books away, Karone and the others made their way to the cafeteria. They had just bought their lunch and were trying to find a table when she heard Ashley let out a gasp.

"Ash?" she turned to the girl. "What is it?"

"Wow," Ashley said, not hearing Karone talking to her. "He is gorgeous."

"Who is?" Karone looked around, trying to see where Ashley was looking.

"That guy over there," Ashley pointed to where a group of kids were. "He's the one wearing that Hulk shirt."

Karone smirked as she realized who she was talking about. "He's ok."

"OK?" Ashley turned to look at her. "Karone, he is beyond 'ok'; he's gorgeous…he probably has a girlfriend though, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't want to be with me."

"Do you like him?" Karone asked her.

"I don't even know him," Ashley smiled.

"But you're definitely interested in getting to know him better?" Karone asked.

"Yeah," Ashley nodded. "I am."

"Well then, go talk to him Ash," Cassie said.

"I can't," Ashley shook her head.

"But I can," Karone smiled before walking over to the group.

"What is she doing?" Ashley asked. "Karone get back here!"

Karone just laughed. Ashley and the others watched as she walked up the group. She tapped on the guy's shoulder and he turned to look at her with a smile. He said something and Karone smacked him on his head while he laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"What the hell?" Ashley looked a little betrayed. She watched as Karone looked over to them and gestured for them to come over. Shrugging in unison, the four walked over.

_(Earlier with Kim and the girls)_

Walking out of the Home Economics class, the girls were all smiles. The way they interacted with each other would make you think that they had been friends for years. The girls found Kim a delight as she was quite different from most of the girls at the school. She had a perky and bubbly persona that made you feel cheerful whenever you were around her. It's like each girl had found their counterpart in Kim; Tanya found someone to talk music with, Trini could talk sports while Aisha found she could talk to Kim about anything and for Kim, it was the same. To her, it felt like different parts of her were in the three girls and she was happy. At first she had protested against moving, but now, she was glad that they did. The rest of the morning passed by and the girls were on their way to their lockers before going out to lunch. Kim was thinking about the people she met and how she felt when she heard Aisha.

"So Kim," Aisha said, pulling her from her thoughts. "What's it like in Bayside? Any cute guys"

"It's kinda like here," Kim smiled. "And as for the guys; well, some were cute, but others were not so much. But in all honesty, there were only about two guys that went beyond the average cutie at Bayside."

"Oh really?" Aisha waggled her eyebrows even as a smile came across her face. "Any of them interested in you?"

"No," Kim shook her heads. "We're just really good friends and besides, they have girlfriends that they are head over heels in love with. Why do you ask?"

"Just checking," Aisha shrugged.

"Did you forget I said I was single?" Kim laughed as she asked her.

"Maybe," Aisha smiled. "But still….just wanted to check again."

"Why?" Kim smiled at her.

"Oh nothing," Aisha said. "You seemed pretty cozy with Tommy…that's all."

"Oh," Kim ducked her head as a blush came across her face. "Tommy and I are just friends…at least, I hope so."

"You are," Trini laughed. "Tommy is not really the kind of guy that becomes so comfortable with someone that quickly."

"Really?" Kim looked over at her.

"Yes," Trini nodded.

"OK," Kim said. "So what's good here? Besides Ernie's. Any good shopping places?"

"We have a mall," Tanya said. "Which we go to like every afternoon."

"Really?" Kim's eyes lit up as she looked at them. "So I take you guys love to shop?"

"Absolutely," Aisha smiled. "It's like our most favorite thing to do."

"Do you guys go in the morning," Kim started

"And don't leave until afternoon?" Tanya completed. "Yep."

"Do you?" Trini asked.

"Yes," Kim nodded. "I absolutely love to shop….especially when they have sales."

"We so have to take you shopping with us," Aisha said.

"I'd like that," Kim smiled. "Can we go this afternoon?"

Trini linked arms with Kim and Tanya while Aisha looped her arm through Kim's free arm. "Ladies, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

The girls laughed as they made their way into the cafeteria. They bought their lunch and looked around for the guys, spotting them at a table near the back. They were still talking and making plans about their shopping trip when they neared the table.

"Hey guys," Jason said as they got closer.

"Hey," Trini smiled as she sat next to her boyfriend. Kim took the seat next to her, which just happened to be next to Tommy and between Andros, while Aisha and Tanya sat near the boyfriends.

"What are you girls talking about?" Rocky asked as he took a bite out of his burger.

The girls looked at one another, before turning back to them. Sharing a smile, they answered as one. "Shopping."

The guys all groaned. "Oh man," Adam sighed. "How did we not see this coming?"

"Kim," Jason said. "You should stay away before they pull you into it."

"I'm more worried about her pulling them," Andros said.

"You mean she's one of them?" Zack teased.

"She's more like the queen," Zhane laughed. "Kim is a major shopaholic."

"So she's the queen of the dark side?" Tommy teased.

"Hey!" Kim laughed as she slapped him on the chest. "That's mean. Just for that, you're coming with us this afternoon and you get the pleasure of holding all my bags."

"What?" Tommy laughed. "Sorry, I don't do shopping."

"Please?" Kim looked up at him. "You know you want to."

"Kim," Tommy smiled.

"You won't regret it," Kim smiled at him. The others looked on in amusement at the interactions of the two. Andros and Zhane shook their heads, knowing that she would get him to go….no matter the fact that they just met. Jason looked on in interest. He could practically see the chemistry between the two of them and wondered how long it would take for them to notice it.

"Alright fine," Tommy sighed. "But you owe me big for this."

"Yay," Kim laughed as she leaned up to give him a quick hug. "Thank you Tommy."

"You're welcome," Tommy smiled before turning back to his food. He looked up and caught the look on his friends' faces. "What?"

"I can't believe you're actually going," Rocky shook his head with a smile. "The girls usually have to pull teeth to get you go with them."

"You think you can do that on the rest of the boys?" Tanya asked Kim.

"If it'll work," Kim smiled. "Sure." The girls then laughed at the horrified looks on the boys' faces. Adam was about to say something but stopped when he saw a girl heading towards them.

She stopped behind Andros and tapped him on his shoulder. "Hey."

"Hey sis," Kim smiled over at her. Karone looked at her sister and raised an eyebrow when she saw the guy next to her stealing food from the plate, and Kim slapping the guy's hand with a smile.

"Sis?" Zack looked between them.

"Yeah," Andros said. "This is our younger sister Karone."

"Nice to meet you," Karone smiled.

"So this is Karone," Billy smiled.

"Yes, and she's also a pain in the ass," Andros laughed. "Hey." He gave a mock glare to Karone when she slapped the back of his head.

"That's what you get," She smiled.

"You know I love you," he laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Whatever," Karone teased.

"So what brings you over here?" Kim asked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you."

"I wanted you guys to meet some friends of mine," Karone told her sister.

"Cool," Zhane said. "Where are they?"

"Over there," Karone turned and beckoned the others with a wave of her hand. She saw them look at each other before walking over.

"Hey guys," Curtis said as he stopped in front of the table. He bumped fists with his cousin before giving a slight wave to the rest.

"Hey Curtis," Zack smiled.

"You know each other?" Karone asked.

"We're cousins," Curtis answered.

"Oh," Karone smiled. "So it's a group of family and friends. Ok. Well anyway, I wanted you to meet my friends, though it seems like you already know them." she turned to Ashley and the others. "This is my close friend Zhane."

"Nice to meet you," Cassie smiled, followed by Ashley, as they shook hands.

"Same here," Zhane smiled. "Any friend of Karone is a friend of mine."

"And these two are my brother and sister," Karone said. "Kim and Andros."

"Hi," Kim waved at them.

"Hey," Andros nodded in their direction, his arm still around his sister's waist.

"He's your brother?" Ashley asked.

"Yep," Karone smirked at her, knowing what Ashley had thought.

"I thought…" Ashley started.

"I know," Karone chuckled. "That's why I did what I did."

"You're so mean," Ashley teased.

"Yes," Andros laughed lightly. "She is."

"So get used to it," Kim teased her sister.

"Shut up you guys," Karone smiled.

"Well don't just stand there," Rocky said. "Pull up a chair and sit down." TJ and the others did as they were told and the group spent the rest of the lunch hour getting to know each other better. Throughout the lunch, looks were exchanged, though the guilty parties hoped that no one noticed; Kim and Tommy kept stealing looks which was caught by Jason, Andros, Trini and Aisha; Zhane and Karone were doing the same and were noticed only by Kim; same went for TJ and Cassie with Ashley being the one to see; and finally, Ashley and Andros were also stealing looks at each other, seen by Karone and an outsider in the group…someone who looked on in jealousy because he had wanted Ashley for himself.

**A/N 2: **ok, so there it was. Question: was it a little confusing jumping between Kim/friends POV and Karone/friends POV? It was a bit to me. So I thought that for the next chapter, I'd split it; half will be focused on Kim and her friends, while the other half will be on Karone and her friends or it can stay how it is. Which will work better? Let me know. Read and review.

* * *

_Teaser:_

…_..Kim turned to Trini to say something when she saw a blonde girl about their age heading towards them._

"_Hey Tri," she said._

"_Yeah Kim?" Trini turned to look at her._

"_Who is that?" she asked, pointing to the girl._

"_That's Kat," Trini replied. "Tommy's girlfriend."_


	4. Ch 3: I've Got a Feeling

**A/N: **ok, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy.

**Ghostwriter: **I have a love/hate relationship with Kat, but not to worry, I won't be too hard on her

**OPD: **Friday. 19th Feb. '10.

* * *

_Last time on LA: Angel Grove;_

_TJ and the others did as they were told and the group spent the rest of the lunch hour getting to know each other better. Throughout the lunch, looks were exchanged, though the guilty parties hoped that no one noticed; Kim and Tommy kept stealing looks which was caught by Jason, Andros, Trini and Aisha; Zhane and Karone were doing the same and were noticed only by Kim; same went for TJ and Cassie with Ashley being the one to see; and finally, Ashley and Andros were also stealing looks at each other, seen by Karone and an outsider in the group…someone who looked on in jealousy because he had wanted Ashley for himself. _

_(Now)_

Later that day, the two groups walked out of their last class and headed to their lockers. Karone and the others finished first, so they decided to go and meet up with Kim and her friends at their lockers.

"Finished already?" Andros said when he saw her.

"Yep," Karone nodded. "Didn't have that much books to put away and the teachers decided not to give out any homework as this was the first day….I love Angel Grove."

"So what are you guys doing this afternoon?" Aisha asked.

"Well," Kim said. "We told our parents that we'd hang out at the youth center for a bit before heading home and Tommy invited us to hang out with you guys earlier, so…."

"Oh good," Aisha smiled. "I was just going to ask if you guys wanted to hang out with us."

"Great minds think alike," Kim smiled at her as she closed her locker.

"That they do," Aisha laughed.

"Did you guys forget that we had planned to do a little shopping this afternoon?" Trini asked with a smile.

"Oh yeah," Kim smacked her forehead. "We did, didn't we?"

"I completely forgot about that," Aisha laughed.

"Well that's what we're here for," Tanya smiled. "To remind you of the important stuff."

"Can we join?" Cassie smiled at them. "Or is this just a junior thing?"

"Cass," Trini laughed as she lightly smacked her on her shoulder. "Even if it was just a junior thing, you know my baby sister is practically always welcome."

"I know," Cassie laughed.

"Oh man," Jason and the others groaned. "Shopping? So soon? But school just started, how can you be thinking about that already?"

"It's shopping," Aisha shrugged. "We always think about it."

"Please say we're not included," TJ clasped his hands together and had a pleading look on his face.

"You are," Tanya smiled. "This is what happens when you hang out with us junior girls."

"Man," Rocky teased. "We're the only juniors that willingly hang out with sophomores."

"I know," Jason sighed. "We should change that."

"You wouldn't dare," Tommy laughed. "Considering your girlfriend's sister is a sophomore and I think you like the idea of Trini staying your girlfriend."

"He better," Trini said.

"Well, well, well," A voice behind them spoke. "Hey Skull, look what we have here."

"Aw man," Adam groaned. "And the day was going by so perfect."

"What are you losers up to?" the voice asked.

"None of your business Bulk," Zack said as he closed his locker and turned towards him.

"What was that wise guy?" Bulk, who was heavy-set and wearing a black, sleeveless jacket, a leather cap, leather gloves and earrings, turned to Zack with a sneer on his face.

"Who're these guys?" Kim asked.

"These are Bulk and Skull," Rocky said. "They are the so-called bullies of AGHS."

"And who is this?" Skull asked as he stepped closer to Kim, completely oblivious to the dark looks thrown his way by Andros, Zhane, and surprisingly Tommy.

"Back off," Andros said as he stepped in front of his sister. "She's none of your business."

"Oh yeah?" Skull sneered.

"Yes." Tommy said as he moved to stand next to Andros. "Now I suggest you do what Andros said before you regret it."

"Is that a threat?" Bulk asked as he stepped up to Tommy.

"Nope," Tommy shook his head. "Just a friendly warning."

"I'd do as he says Bulk," Cassie said. "You know you don't want to go up against everyone here."

"I'm not afraid of either one of you," Bulk said as he gazed around at the group. "Especially not You Oliver. And you know what else? I don't think that Skull should back off and neither will I."

"That's a bad idea," Tommy said.

"Oh?" Bulk crossed his arms. "And what are you numbskulls gonna do if I don't leave?"

"This," Tommy said before he dropped his book bag on the floor and did a spinning kick, a few more karate moves before throwing a punch at Bulk's head stopping just before the hit could connect.

"You losers aren't worth out time," Bulk cried. "Come on Skull, let's go."

"We'll get you next time," Skull said as he and Bulk took off down the hallway.

"My heroes," Kim giggled as she leaned up to give her brother a kiss on his cheeks and Tommy a hug.

"It was nothing," Tommy smiled down at her as he picked up his book bag.

"What do you say we get out of here?" Rocky said. "I'm craving a hamburger with fries and a smoothie."

"You're always craving one of those," Adam teased his friend.

"I'm a growing boy," Rocky said as the group started walking. "I need my sustenance."

"Careful there Rocky," Jason nudged him on his shoulder. "Don't let the big word choke you."

"Shut up," Rocky grumbled good naturedly as the others laughed. The group got to the parking lot and they had to decide who was going with whom.

"Karone," Ashley called out. "You can ride with me and Cassie."

"Alright," Karone said. She turned to look at her sister and brother. Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, Kim and Andros waved her off.

"It's fine," Kim smiled. "I'm sure one of these guys would be more than happy to give us a ride, and if not, we don't mind walking."

"You're not walking," Trini scolded with a smile. "Neither of you are."

"I was just kidding," Kim laughed lightly. "So who's going with whom?"

"I can take you guys," Tommy said. "I drove by myself this morning, so I have the room."

"Are you sure?" Kim teased. "I mean, I can ride with Trini and Aisha."

"I'm sure," Tommy shrugged with a smile. "It's no big deal; besides, I'd like the company. So what do you say?" he looked in her eyes, hoping she'd say yes, though slightly unsure as to why it would bother him if she didn't.

"Sure, why not?" Kim smiled as a faint blush came on her cheeks; even though the two had just met today, she knew that she was already starting to like Tommy and she knew that if things kept going the way that they did, then she would end up falling in love with him.

"Alright then," Tommy smiled.

"OK," Tanya spoke up. "So, Kim, Andros and Zhane are going to ride with Tommy; I'm riding with Sha and Trini; Zack and Billy are riding with Jason and Rocky's riding with Adam."

"And Karone's going with us," Cassie said. "And Curtis is with TJ."

"Let's go," Trini smiled.

With that, everyone got into the respective vehicles and they headed to the youth center. To the amusement of Andros and Zhane, Kim and Tommy spent the entire ride teasing and laughing with each other, sometimes forgetting that the two of them were there.

_(Jason's Car)_

"So what do you guys think of them?" Jason asked his friends, referring to Kim, Andros and Zhane.

"They seem really cool," Zack smiled. "Especially Kimberly."

"Was I the only one present that saw the apparent chemistry between the two of them?" Billy asked his mind on Kim and Tommy.

"You saw that?" Jason looked in his rearview mirror at him. "I thought I was the only one."

"Yes I did," Billy smiled. "And I believe that Andros may have picked up on it as well."

"What do you think will happen?" Jason asked; he knew Zack and Billy for years now and he valued their opinion very much.

"Honestly?" Billy shifted in his seat. "I think that things between the two of them shall progress swiftly and that is cause for concern."

"Why?" Zack asked. "If Kim and Tommy do end up together, then I'm glad. I mean, did you see the way the two acted around each other? Tommy's never done that with anyone else. It may be too soon to tell but I think Kim could be good for him."

"I agree with what you say Zack," Jason said. "But you're forgetting one thing and I think that that was what Billy was getting at."

"What's that?" Zack shifted in the seat so that he could look at both of them.

"Katherine." Billy said as he moved to the edge of his seat so that he could rest both arms on Zack and Jason's seat.

"Exactly," Jason nodded.

"Oh man," Zack groaned. "I forgot about her."

"It was easy to," Jason shrugged. "You guys know I have nothing against her; I think she's a great girl, it's just that…."

"She's not for Tommy," Billy finished. He waited a few seconds before he spoke again. "I always wondered why those two got together in the first place."

"You know how Kat was when she first met Tommy," Jason said.

"Talk about obsessed," Zack laughed lightly. "She never wanted to go anywhere unless Tommy was going."

"I think the only reason Tommy finally gave into her is because he knew she wouldn't stop hounding him," Jason said. The trio was silent, each thinking about the situation that was happening in their group. After a while, Billy spoke up.

"Do you really think something will happen between Tommy and Kimberly?" he asked.

"I don't think something _will _happen," Jason answered after a few minutes of silence. "I think it already _is _happening."

_(Trini's Car)_

"So?" Aisha said. "What do you guys think of Kim and the others?"

"They seem really cool," Tanya answered. "But did you see the way she and Tommy acted towards each other?"

"You mean like the way she got him to agree to come shopping even though he hates it?" Trini asked.

"Yes," Tanya nodded. "Not even Kat can get him to go….and you know how she is."

"We do," Aisha said. "You guys, it's not hard to see the chemistry between the two of them and to be honest I think they'd be really good together."

"But what about Kat?" Tanya asked. "Are you saying you want Tommy to cheat on her?" though Aisha was her cousin and she was really good friends with all of them, she and Kat were really close and she didn't want to see her hurt.

"No," Aisha shook her head. "That's not what I'm saying at all. Just think; Kim and Tommy have only just met today and already you could see the bond forming between the two of them; T, you know as well as I do that Tommy never reacted that quickly to Kat. I mean, how long did it take him to be comfortable around her?"

"I see your point Sha," Trini said. "Tommy was really comfortable around Kimberly; so comfortable that you'd think that they knew each other beforehand."

"Exactly," Aisha smiled.

"This is going to be interesting," Tanya said. "If what you said is true, then the bond between Kim and Tommy will only continue to grow. I'm just worried about Kat; I mean, what's going to happen when she gets back?"

"I honestly don't know," Trini sighed. "But what I do know is this; when she does come back, things are most definitely going to change even more….whether it's for better or worse, we'll just have to see." Aisha and Tanya couldn't help but to agree.

_(Rocky's Car)_

"So, Rocky," Adam turned to his best friend. "What do you think of the new guys?"

"They seem pretty cool," Rocky smiled. "I mean, we're a tight group already, but it's like they fit right in."

"I was wondering if I was the only that saw that," Adam smirked. "But, did you see the Tommy and Kim acted around each other?"

"Did I?" Rocky laughed. "Man, I thought the place would catch on fire from the sparks coming off the two."

"And they weren't the only ones," Adam smiled as he shook his head. He was the quiet one out of their group of friends, so it made it more likely for him to observe his friends and things around him unnoticed.

"What do you mean?" Rocky asked.

"I mean," Adam said. "Didn't you see the looks Ash and Andros were giving each other? And the ones Zhane and Karone were exchanging?"

"Are you kidding?" Rocky looked at him briefly before looking back at the road.

"No," Adam shook his head.

"Whoa," Rocky shook his own head in amazement. "A lot of couples are going to be forming this year."

"And by the looks of things," Adam said. "Kim and Tommy may be one of them."

"It'll be interesting to see what happens when Kat comes back," Rocky said. "This school year will be the most drama filled one we've ever had."

"I agree," Adam nodded.

"And I can't wait," Rocky smiled.

"Again," Adam smiled over at him. "I agree." The two boys laughed.

_(TJ's Car)_

"So Teej," Curtis shifted his body so that he was leaning against the door and was facing TJ.

"What?"

"Are you ever going to tell Cassie how you feel?" Curtis asked, smiling in amusement when the car swerved slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," TJ said, hoping beyond hope that his best friend would let it go.

"Sure you do," Curtis smirked. "You can't lie to me Teej; I'm your best friend. You have feelings for Cassie and you've had them for awhile now."

"Curtis," TJ sighed; he thought that he had done a better job of hiding his feelings, but Curtis was right, they were best friends and he shouldn't be surprised that he had figured it out….it wouldn't stop him from denying it though. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" Curtis shifted so that his back was resting against his seat. "Ok; so if I were to give David the ok to tell Cass how he felt…." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw TJ's hands clench around the steering wheel.

"Wouldn't mean a thing," TJ said after a few minutes; outside he tried to project an unaffected aura, but inside he was seething with jealousy and anger. David Stall was in their year and was on the debate team, which instead of turning girls off, they seemed to flock to him, although, him being very good looking might be the reason; he was a really good guy, but the one thing TJ had against him was that he had feelings for Cassie….feelings that he wasn't sure she returned or not.

"Or," Curtis smirked. "I could just tell you how Cass feels about you and David."

"How does she feel about David?" TJ asked, curiosity coloring his tone. "And how do you know that anyways?" he ignored the part about him, partly because he was afraid of what Curtis would say.

"Interested are we?" Curtis teased.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" TJ asked, silently considering the possibility of slowing the car enough that he would throw Curtis out.

"She likes David," Curtis started and he watched as TJ swallowed reflexively as his hands tightened once again around the steering wheel. "But only as a friend."

TJ couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him. He looked over at Curtis only to find him watching with a knowing look on his face. Letting a resigned sigh escape his lips, TJ spoke. "Alright…..I do have feelings for Cassie; but it doesn't matter because she doesn't feel the same."

"But that's the thing," Curtis smiled. "She does."

"What?" TJ looked over at him. "Don't mess with me."

"I'd never mess around about this," Curtis shook his head. "You know me better than that; Cassie does like you."

TJ couldn't help the smile that came across his face; it was a huge relief to him to know that Cassie returned his feelings. Now the only thing he had to worry about was how to tell her how he felt about her.

"So what are you going to do?" Curtis asked, after seeing the smile on his best friend's face.

"Figure out some way to ask Cassie out," TJ replied.

"Need any help?" Curtis waggled his eyebrows.

"Definitely," TJ sighed. "And then we can work on Ash and Andros."

"I love it when plans form," Curtis smiled. TJ laughed.

_(Ashley's Car)_

"So Karone," Ashley looked at her in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah?" Karone looked up at her.

"Andros," Ashley bit her lip as she thought on whether or not she should ask the question that she desperately wanted to. "Is he uhm….he uh, he doesn't have a girlfriend or anything, does he? I mean, not that I care…"

"It's ok Ashley," Karone laughed. "Andros is single, and I think you guys would make a cute couple; if you like him….go for it."

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked. "I mean, I'm not even positive that he will like me."

"I'm sure," Karone smiled at her. "Look, my brother may be a guy, but he's not insensitive or cruel. He's actually pretty descent and the girls that he has dated, even after they broke up, said that he was a complete gentleman. So even if he doesn't like you, which I doubt, then he will let you down in the gentlest way possible."

"Just take a chance Ash," Cassie smiled over at her friend. "What have you got to lose?"

"I don't know," Ashley admitted. "I understand what you guys are saying, but I'm still not sure I should….I mean, I'm not even sure if I really like him or if I was just attracted to him."

"Ok, how about this," Karone shifted closer to the two. "Today is only Monday and you guys have just met, so why don't you give it a few days, get to know him a little better and then see if it is just an attraction or if you genuinely want to be with him; when you do, then you tell him."

"That sounds reasonable," Ashley nodded. "_And, _Cassie can use that time to figure out when she's going to tell TJ that she likes him."

"What?" Both Cassie and Karone asked.

"Cassie likes TJ?" Karone asked, her eyes going to Cassie before going back to Ashley.

"She does," Ashley nodded. "But she thinks that I don't know that she does."

"I do not like TJ," Cassie said as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh really?" Ashley smirked. "Then what's with all the looks between you too? You know; the ones that you give each other when you think that no one is looking?"

"Really?" Karone smiled.

"I have no idea what she's on about," Cassie said, a blush making its way up her face.

"Sure you don't," Ashley teased. "You like TJ and you're afraid to tell him."

"You should just tell him," Karone smiled.

"I can't," Cassie shook her head. "I have no idea if he feels the same."

"Aha!" Ashley said. "So you admit to liking him."

"Yes, ok," Cassie laughed. "I like him, a lot; but I can't tell him."

"Why not?" Karone asked.

"Because I don't want to ruin our friendship," Cassie sighed.

"You won't," Ashley reassured her. "Cass, I have it on good authority that TJ likes you as well."

"Really?" Cassie looked over at her with hope in her eyes. "Well then, why haven't he said anything?"

"Why haven't you?" Ashley countered. "Besides, if I know TJ, and I do, then he's afraid of the same things you are."

"I don't know," Cassie shook her head.

"How about this?" Ashley suggested. "If I tell Andros how I feel, you'll tell TJ how you feel."

"Sounds good," Cassie nodded.

"I can't believe you two," Karone laughed.

"It's a smart plan," Ashley said. "That way, if we both get rejected, which I hope not, then we can comfort each other."

"Ahhh," Karone smiled. "Now I understand; ok guys, I have to ask you something."

"What is it?" Cassie turned slightly in her seat to look back at her.

"What's the deal with Tommy?" Karone asked.

"Tommy Oliver?" Cassie shared a smile with Ashley. "He is only one of the hottest and sweetest guys in school."

"He's more like _the _hottest and sweetest guy in school," Ashley smiled. "And that's according to the rest of the female population at AGHS."

"Seriously?" Karone looked at them.

"Yep," the two girls nodded.

"I don't think so," Cassie said. "Well I do, but he's best friends with my brother and sister, and I kinda see him as an older brother or something."

"Why do you ask?" Ashley said.

"I think something might happen between him and my sister," Karone said. "It looked like they were flirting with each other today at lunch."

Karone didn't miss the looks that Ashley and Cassie shared with each other. "What is it?"

"Are you sure what you saw?" Cassie asked.

"I am," Karone said. "I know my sister, and I know when she likes a guy and she definitely likes Tommy and I think he may like her too."

"If that's true," Ashley started. "Then it's going to cause problems."

"Why do you say that?" Karone asked her.

"Because," Ashley said. "The last time I checked, Tommy had a girlfriend."

"What?" Karone stared at her in shock.

"Yeah," Cassie said. "He's dating a girl called Katherine Hillard."

"You're serious?" Karone asked both girls.

"Yeah," Ashley shook her head. "They got together the summer before their sophomore year."

"I don't believe it," Karone sighed. She could tell that her sister was seriously starting to like him and she knew that this would only hurt her.

"If it makes anything better," Cassie spoke up. "I don't think Kat is right for Tommy and neither does Ash. In fact, in all honesty, I'm surprised they haven't broken up yet."

"I just hope Kim doesn't get hurt," Karone sighed. "Though in all probability, she will." The girls were quiet after that as they each thought on what was said. Minutes later, they pulled up in the parking lot at the youth center. The kids got out of the cars and were all laughs when they walked into the building. Kim stood next to her brother, holding on to his arm, while the others stood next to them.

"This place is truly amazing," Zhane whistled.

"Hey guys," a voice behind them said. The group turned as one and they all smiled when they say the jolly guy standing there.

"Hey Ernie," they replied as one.

"So how was the first day?" Ernie asked as he stood in front of them.

"It was good," Trini was the one to answer. "And we got some new friends." She gestured to Kim and the others.

"Nice to see you guys again," Ernie smiled at the four of them.

"Same here," Andros smiled.

"How do you guys know Ernie?" Ashley asked.

"We were walking around town," Karone answered. "The day we moved here and we ended up coming in here and we met him."

"So," Ernie smiled at them. "The usual?"

"You know it," Jason nodded his head.

"And what about you four?" Ernie asked as he turned to Kim, Andros, Zhane and Karone. "What do you like?"

"Strawberry-kiwi smoothie," Kim answered. "And also, a burger with only lettuce and ketchup, and fries….no cheese though."

"I'll have the same," Andros said. "Except instead of a strawberry-kiwi, I'd like blueberry."

"I'll have a mango smoothie and a cheeseburger," Karone smiled. "And do you think I could get onion rings instead of regular fries?"

"I can do that," Ernie smiled. He turned to Zhane and saw that he was reading the menu for the day. "And what about you?"

"I'll have a pineapple smoothie with two burgers, fries and a slice of pizza," Zhane smile.

"Hey," Rocky looked over at him with a smile. "That's what I usually get."

"Really?" Zhane turned to him.

"Yeah," Rocky nodded. "But sometimes I like to put some of the fries along with piece of pizza on the burger and eat it."

"I thought I was the only one to do that," Zhane's eyes lit up as he looked at him. "Andros and the others think I'm weird for doing it."

"You do that too?" Rocky's eyes widened in shock. "My friends think I'm weird too."

"So what else do you do?" Zhane asked Rocky; this started a discussion between the two and they moved to a table to continue it, the others staring at them in shock.

"I think Rocky just found his soul mate," Adam said which caused the others to burst out laughing.

"You guys can go sit down," Ernie said to them. "I'll bring your stuff out."

"Thanks Ernie," Jason smiled and the friends went to where Rocky and Zhane were sitting, adding three more tables so that they all could fit. Kim walked next to Andros, resting her head on his arm. They rearranged the tables into a circle; and somehow Kim ended up sitting between Jason and Tommy and across from Andros. They talked quietly to each other while they waited on their food. Occasionally looks would be exchanged throughout the group, each responsible party playing oblivious. To the surprise and pleasure of Ashley, Andros had started a conversation with her and the two were smiling and talking completely oblivious to the knowing looks they were getting from Karone, Kim, Cassie, TJ and Curtis. Minutes later, Ernie came over with their food.

"Here you go guys," he smiled at them as he set the trays down.

"Thanks Ernie," the group replied. The group settled down to eat, swapping stories of their summer vacations.

"Hey!" Kim smacked Tommy on the arm when she saw what he was doing. "You've got your own you know." He had grabbed her smoothie and was drinking it.

"I know," Tommy smiled as he took another sip. "But I wanted to drink yours."

"Why?" Kim asked as she held out her hand for it.

"I don't know," Tommy shrugged. "But this tastes so much better since I stole it from you." He couldn't believe how comfortable he was with Kim, especially since they just met today. But he had to admit that ever since he saw her that day in the park, something about her drew her to him and he couldn't help it….he didn't want to. After spending time with her today, he knew that he would want to spend more time with her. '_I shouldn't be feeling this way,' _he thought to himself. _'Nothing can happen because I have a girlfriend, one I care about; but how come I feel more for Kim and in her presence than I ever did in Kat's?' _shaking his head, he refocused on the conversations going on around him and on Kim.

"Well then," Kim was still holding out her hand. "Give it back."

"Make me," he smiled while he pulled her smoothie out of reach.

"Tommy," Kim bit her lip to hide her smile. "Please give me back my smoothie."

He tapped his chin, pretending to think about it. "No." he laughed a little the look on her face, but lost it when she pouted at him; he could feel himself weakening as he had a sudden urge to kiss it away. Reaching over, he tapped her lip. "Don't pout please."

"Why not?" she asked; the others watching in amusement.

"Because it makes me want to do what you said," Tommy said. Andros and Zhane shook their heads. They knew that he would give up in a matter of seconds; no one could resist Kim's pout or her puppy dog face too long.

"Please," Kim allowed her lip to quiver and smirked inwardly when she saw the defeat in his eyes; she knew she had him.

"Kim," Tommy closed his eyes to her pout and his friends' laughter and Kim used that to grab her drink from his hands; his eyes flew open when he felt it. "What the…" he looked up and saw her with a triumphant smile on her face, while she sipped on her drink.

"Gotcha," she laughed.

"That wasn't fair," he chuckled; she truly was something else. She was different from the other girls at school and he knew that he would enjoy getting to know her better.

"All's fair in love and war," Kim smirked. "Or in this case, smoothies." The group laughed before settling down to talk. Zhane and Rocky, who were still sitting next to each other, were talking softly about their similarities in foods and others stuff; everyone could see that the two of them were forming a bond between each other….a weird one, but a bond nonetheless; Trini had started a shopping discussion with Kim which drew Aisha and Tanya in and the four girls were rapidly talking much to the amusement and annoyance of the guys; Karone spoke with Ashley and Cassie, the three opting to getting to know each other even more; Zack and Curtis were busy talking about the latest music and dance moves while Billy, TJ, Andros and Adam were talking about cars and Jason and Tommy were talking over Kim's head about the tournament that they had been in a week ago. Kim, noticing that Tommy was preoccupied, got a smirk on her face as an idea came to her. Checking one last time to see that he still wasn't paying attention, she reached over and grabbed his drink. She had already taken a couple sips when he noticed.

"Hey," he said. "That's my drink."

"I know," Kim smirked. "And you were right, it does taste better when you steal it; hmmm, vanilla."

"Kimberly," Tommy shook his head as he laughed. "You're something else."

"Thank you," Kim smiled before she took one last sip and handed the smoothie back to him. On the other side of Tommy, Jason shook his head; he knew that Tommy liked Kim and it was a big possibility that he would fall in love with her; he just hoped that Tommy was honest with her before things developed even more between them. _'But then again,' _he thought to himself, _'Even if he did tell her, it might not stop the growing feelings between the two of them.' _

"So Kim," Tanya said. "What do you do for hobbies? Besides shopping."

"I do volunteer work," Kim smiled. "But you could usually find me with my guitar."

"You play?" Zack's attention was caught.

"Yeah," Kim shifted to look at him. "I write and sing too."

"We gotta jam together sometime," Zack smiled.

"That would be fun," Kim smiled at him; it was nice to meet someone she could discuss music to, not that she didn't mind hanging out with her brother and sister, but they weren't into music like she was, so it was a little hard for her. As she listened to them talk, Kim's gaze went around the youth center; she realized that the place was very popular and that everyone seemed to find something to do here, whether it be homework or just hanging out. She was bringing her gaze back to her friends when her eyes caught sight of the balance beam. She had noticed the beam when they had first come across the youth center on Saturday, but hadn't really paid attention to it as at the time, she was more interested in checking out the rest of the town. But now, her curiosity was getting the best of her and she desperately wanted to try it out. She hadn't been on a beam or done much gymnastics because they were so busy with the moving, so she was a little nostalgic about it. She bit her lip as she looked at it, wondering if Ernie would mind if she decided to try it out. Feeling someone's gaze on her, she looked back at the group only to find her brother staring at her. Keeping her attention, he raised an eyebrow;

_What is it? _

She bit her lip and looked towards the beam before looking back at him. Andros' brow furrowed a little as he followed his sister's gaze; his eyes caught the beam, and the frown melted away into a soft smile before turning back to Kim in confusion.

_What about it?_

Kim bit her lip once more before looking into his eyes. He saw the look in her eyes and smiled.

_You want to try it out, don't you?_

She smiled back as she nodded. _**But I'm not sure I can.**_

_Why not? _He looked at her like she was crazy.

_**I don't know. **_Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She truly did want to try out the beam, but she didn't want to be too presumptuous because she had no idea what Ernie would say. She looked back at her brother, the two oblivious to the looks they were getting from the others. When Andros caught Kim's eyes, he shifted his to the counter to where Ernie was.

_Just ask him._

Kim shook her with a smile. _**You do it….please?**_

Andros shook his head as he stood up and walked over to the counter, his friends following his movement with their eyes. He talked to Ernie, who after a few minutes laughed at something he said before nodded his head. Smiling Andros made his way back to the table, nodding at his sister before he moved to his chair. Kim squealed before launching herself out of her seat and around the table and threw her arms around her brother. She pulled back to look him in his eyes.

"Thanks Andy," she smiled.

"It's no problem," Andros smiled. "And you're welcome."

Kissing him on the cheek, Kim went over to the locker rooms to change out of her jeans and into a pair of tights; she always kept a pair in her book bag. Andros just shook his head before walking over to stand next to the beam. Back at the tables, the group was still staring at them in shock and confusion.

"What the hell just happened?" Curtis asked.

"Kim and Andros," Zhane and Karone replied.

"Explain please," Jason said.

"It's something that they do," Karone said. "Something they've been able to do for as long as I can remember."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Billy spoke up. "But did Kim and Andros just have a conversation?"

"Yep," Zhane nodded as he got up and went over to the counter; seconds later, he came back with a tray that had four mini burgers on it with two large fries; he gave one of the fries and two of the burgers to Rocky, and the two started eating, the others looking at them in shock.

"Are we sure they aren't twins separated at birth?" Aisha whispered to Adam who covered his mouth to hide his laughter.

"Amazing," Billy said. "I've read scientific journals on connection between twins, but to actually see it is phenomenal."

"Don't make too big a deal of it though," Karone warned. "Kim and Andros hate that, which is why they don't do it too often." She looked up at them and shook her head with a small smile. She laughed though when she looked over at Zhane. "Z, you have a little something there." She pointed to his chin where he had some ketchup.

"Where?" he asked as he wiped his chin. "Did I get it?"

"No," Karone laughed. "Here, let me do it." She leaned over and wiped his chin with her finger, before sitting back down and sucking her finger clean, which left Zhane staring at her.

"Thanks," Zhane said as he blushed lightly.

"No problem," Karone said; her smile becoming shy. _'What's going on? It's Zhane…Why am I feeling this way about him? I can't be having feelings for him….can I?' _She shook her head to get rid of her musings before taking a sip of her remaining smoothie. She looked up and saw her sister coming out of the locker room.

Kim was wearing her pink tights and her tank top. She walked over to her brother with a smile on her face.

"I figured you'd need a boost," Andros smiled at her when she got close.

"More like you just wanted to," Kim laughed. "Because you know I can get up by myself."

"You're right," he laughed. "But we haven't done it in awhile."

"Especially after we freaked dad out," Kim smiled.

"True," Andros smiled before moving to one end of the beam. "Come on."

Kim smiled before walking down the length. She came to a stop a good distance away and turned to face her brother. "Ready?"

"Go for it," Andros replied. The others looked on in confusion.

"What are they doing?" Tommy asked.

"Oh," Karone smiled. "They haven't done this since they freaked dad out."

"Do what?" Trini asked.

"Watch and see," Zhane smiled. Intrigued, the group did as he said. They watched as Kim ran off; seconds before she reached Andros, he went lower and laced his fingers together, allowing Kim to use it as a spring to flip herself onto the beam.

"Whoa," TJ breathed in awe; he wasn't the only one, the occupants of the youth center that had seen it applauded the two of them. Andros sat down in a chair close to the beam and watched with a soft smile on his face as his sister flipped and moved her way across the beam; he loved seeing her do it as she was in her element and it was like she became a different person because she always seemed to let go of everything the moment she got on the beam.

"She's beautiful," Tommy whispered as he watched her; and she truly was. Her movements were graceful and she seemed to flow from one into the other. Tommy's eyes couldn't help but to follow Kim's every movement. It occurred to him that he had never paid this much attention to Kat and her ballet, but he couldn't help but to be fascinated by Kim.

"Yes she is," Karone agreed; she couldn't help but to smile with pride as she looked at her big sister. While she herself did gymnastics, she was no where the vicinity her sister was in; to her, it was as if Kim was born for it and instead of being jealous like some sisters would be, she was very glad that she had an older sister that so talented in the sport.

"Why is Andros sitting so close down there?" Tanya asked; like the others, she found herself unable to tear her gaze away from Kim.

"Peace of mind," Zhane replied.

"From the way she moves," Cassie said. "I never pegged her as someone that would want her brother there for peace of mind."

"Not her," Karone corrected. "The peace of mind is for Andros."

"Why?" Jason asked as he watched Kim do a front flip.

"Because," Karone said. "When they were in their freshman year Kim fell off the beam, hitting her head when she landed. She was in the hospital for about a week. It scared all of us, but as you can imagine, it scared Andros even more."

"After that," Zhane continued. "He never allowed her to be on the beam unless he was there with her." They watched as Kim went into a handstand before opening her legs into a split and bringing her body to rest on her forearms before shifting to sit on the beam. Andros stood and walked over to her, the two talking and laughing, the connection between them very easy to see.

"They're so close," Ashley said, her gaze not leaving them. "Closer than most twins I've ever met."

"I wonder what they're talking about," Aisha murmured when Andros looked over at them before turning back to Kim and ducking his head.

_(With Kim and Andy)_

"That was really good sis," Andros said as he got up from his seat and walked over to her.

"Thanks," Kim smiled at him. "It felt so good being on the beam again."

"I'll bet," Andros laughed. "So tell me…what exactly is going between you and Tommy?"

"Nothing," Kim laughed lightly.

"Kim…." Andros said.

"Ok," She smiled. "I like him…a lot; I know that we just met today, but I already I feel more for him than I've ever felt for anyone else."

"Is it different from Jake?" Andros asked softly, his eyes darkening slightly at the name.

"Way different," Kim chuckled. "I mean, I feel different….the feelings are different; I don't know if anything is going to happen between us, but I hope so."

"Well I'm happy for you," Andros said. "But if he hurts you…."

"I know, I know," Kim giggled. "So, since you questioned me, it's my turn; what's going on between you and Ashley?"

"Nothing," Andros said with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"OK," Kim smiled. "What would you like to happen between you and Ashley?"

Andros said nothing; he looked back at the group, his gaze finding Ashley, before turning back to Kim with a smile on his face. "It's kind of the same with you and Tommy. The way she makes me feel; I've never felt that way before either. I'd really like to get to know her better."

"Well I think you'd make a cute couple," Kim smiled.

"Kim…" He groaned for a minute before offering her a shy smile. "Really?"

"Yes really," Kim laughed for a second before looking at him slightly serious. "If you like her go for it, but the same warning applies; if she hurts you, I will make her life a living hell."

"I have no doubt you will," Andros shook his head with a smiled.

"Good," Kim nodded. "Now come on, let's go back to the table."

Andros placed his hands on her waist while hers went on his shoulder as he helped her down. As he usually does when they're walking together, he kept his hand around her waist, while hers went around his.

"You're really awesome on the beam," Rocky said.

"Thanks," Kim smiled as she took her seat. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well," Jason spoke up. "I was going to ask Tommy if he wanted to do a little sparring." He had a reason for wanting to; not that they didn't usually spar, but he really needed to talk to him about Kim and Kat and what he was going to do and this was one of the quickest ways.

"Sure man," Tommy shrugged. He had a feeling as to why Jason wanted to spar, and while he didn't really want to get into it, he wasn't going to say no.

"Alright," Jason nodded as the two got up and headed to the locker rooms to change. The two came back out and headed over to the mats. After bowing to each other, they got into their stances before starting.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" Tommy asked as he ducked a blow before countering with one.

"You," Jason said as Tommy's blow connected sending him to the floor. Rolling to his feet, he faked a kick and when Tommy dodged, he threw a punch at his midsection, connecting.

"What about me?" Tommy asked as he spun away from the blow.

"What are you going to about Kim?" Jason asked.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy asked as he kept up and dodged when needed.

"I'm talking about those feelings that you have for Kim," Jason said.

"What feelings?" Tommy decided to play dumb; he wasn't sure if he was ready to admit to himself much less Jason, how he truly felt about her. "We just met, so there is no type of feelings involved."

"I don't believe that," Jason said. "And neither do you; and you having just met has no bearing whatsoever because I can see the chemistry between the two of you; you like her Tommy….you like her a lot and I'm not the only one that sees that. Look bro, you're one of my best friends and I care about you and your happiness. This is me you're talking to, so stop denying what we both know is the truth."

"You're right," Tommy said after a few minutes. "I do like her Jase, more than I've ever liked anybody, more than I like Kat. There's just something about her; the first time I saw her, I was completely captured by how beautiful she looked; the way the sunlight glittered in her hair—

"Sunlight?" Jason asked as he swiped Tommy's feet from under him.

"Today wasn't the first time I saw her," Tommy admitted as he jumped to his feet and sending a kick at Jason's head. Seeing the questioning look on his face, Tommy continued. "I saw her for the first time last Friday; I knew I would be late to meet you guys, so I decided to cut through the park. I heard laughter and when I looked up, I saw her; she was absolutely beautiful, and right then and there, I knew that I had to meet her."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jason asked as he dodged another punch.

"Because, as you pointed out, I have a girlfriend," Tommy said. "And I was a little confused as to why I was feeling this way about a girl I never even met…a girl I saw only once."

"So what are you going to do?" Jason asked.

"I don't know," Tommy shook his head. "I care about Kat, you know that, but these feelings that I'm having for Kimberly….Jase, I think I could fall in love with her. How can I feel that way about someone I just met?"

He threw a punch at Jason, who ducked, but left him open so Tommy could kick him off his feet. Tommy held out his hand and pulled Jason to his feet.

"No matter what," Jason said. "You know I'll stand behind you."

"Thanks bro," Tommy smiled as the two bumped fists before heading back to the table.

"That was really cool," Karone smiled at the two of them.

"Thanks," the boys laughed lightly. "So what now?"

"What time is?" Kim asked.

"A little after four," Trini answered her. "Why?"

"Our shopping trip," Kim smiled. "I want to check out the stores before we go home."

"Oh man," Tommy groaned as he dropped in his seat next to her. "I was hoping you forgot about that."

"Well too bad for you that I didn't," Kim stuck out her tongue at him.

"Real mature Kim," Jason laughed.

"Do you guys need to take a shower or something?" Kim wrinkled her nose. "You stink."

"Oh really?" Tommy said. When she nodded, he shifted closer to her.

"Tommy, what are you doing?" Kim asked when she saw what he was doing.

"Nothing," Tommy smiled at her before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her to him.

"Oh gross," Kim squealed. "Tommy, let me go."

"Nah, I don't think I will," He smiled as he hugged her tighter.

"If you don't let me go," Kim said. "I'll make us stay an extra hour at the mall." That seemed to do the trick as he pulled back quicker than she thought.

"Alright fine," Tommy sighed, though you could see a smile playing on his lips. "Let's go before I change my mind."

The group laughed before gathering their stuff and heading for the door. Not wanting to go the mall in her tights, Kim hurried back to the locker to change back into her jeans. When she came back, she moved to pick up her bag but was beaten by Tommy who had leaned down and grabbed it along with his as well. She couldn't help the smile that came across her face. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled before the two walked out with the others, waving goodbye to Ernie.

The two groups spent the rest of the afternoon at the mall before leaving at five thirty. Karone had spent some of the time observing Kim and Tommy and had decided not to tell Kim about Kat; she was going to let Tommy do it himself. By the time the others got home, their parents were already there. After putting their stuff away, Kim, Andros, Karone and Zhane joined Ken and Caroline for dinner, the family exchanging stories of how their day went. It was obvious to see that the whole family was happy that the first day had gone so well.

…

It was now Friday; the first week of school had passed very quickly, much to the happiness of the students. As was the norm, you could Karone and the other sophomores waiting at the junior lockers with her siblings and their friends.

"Ernie's as usual?" TJ asked as he leaned against the locker.

"The park instead," Aisha smiled as she placed her books in the locker. "We were thinking of hanging out there before going to eat at Ernie's."

"Sounds like a plan," Curtis nodded.

"Alright then," Zack clapped his hands as he bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement. "Let's go."

The group laughed before closing their lockers and heading out. Andros was walking next to Ashley and the two were talking and smiling, leaving Kim, Karone, and Cassie shaking their heads with a smile. When they arrived at the park, the girls immediately found a bench while the guys pulled out a Frisbee and a football. The girls settled on the bench while the boys played and Kim and Trini had decided to go for a walk.

"So Kim," Trini said as they started back to their friends. "How do you like things so far?"

"Good," Kim smiled. "It's been a surprisingly good week; I mean, I met some very amazing people and made friendships with each of them. I honestly never thought that I or the others would make friends so quickly."

"I know what you mean," Trini nodded. "It's only been a week, but I feel like I've known you guys for a lot longer, and I'm sure the others feel the same way as well."

"So how long have you and Jason been going out?" Kim asked.

"Since the summer before freshman year," Trini smiled.

"Wow, that long?" Kim looked a little surprised.

"Yeah I know," Trini laughed. "Our friends had gotten tired of our dancing around each other, so they had set us up on a date and Jase and I admitted how we felt about each other; we've been together ever since."

"You guys make a really cute couple," Kim said.

"Thanks," Trini smiled over at her. "I see you and Tommy are getting closer; in fact, I think he's becoming closer to you than he is to any of us….and that's including Jason."

Over the past week, Kim and the others had come to see just how close the group of friends really were; especially Tommy and Jason. But, like Trini had just said, Kim and Tommy seemed to be even closer than anybody else. All their friends had seen it and each were wondering when and/if anything was going to happen between because of the strong bond they seemed to be developing.

"You think so?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Trini smiled.

"He's really sweet," Kim said. "I don't know why, but he seems really easy to talk to; it feels like I can talk to him about anything and I feel really comfortable around him."

"Well I know he feels the same way," Trini said. "I've never seen him act that way around anyone before." _'Not even Kat.' _She added mentally.

"There's just something about him," Kim smiled softly as she thought on Tommy.

Trini looked over at her and she could see her feelings as clear as day on her face. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Kim asked with a blush; she had thought that she had done a good job of hiding it.

"A little," Trini smiled. "But only if you know what to look for." They kept walking and were just a few feet from Aisha and the girls when they stopped to sit on the ground against a tree. They realized that the boys were still playing, so they decided to just sit there and talk. Aisha had waved to them before turning back to her book. Trini smiled as she watched her friends. Her thoughts turned to Kim, and what she had said about liking Tommy and she knew that Tommy felt the same. But she also knew about Kat, and that Tommy hadn't told Kim as yet. _'What to do? I really like Kim and I don't want to see her hurt. But she needs to know; I have to tell her.' _

Kim thought a little on what she had told Trini; it was true, she really did like Tommy. She had already admitted as much to her brother, and she really would like for something to happen between them. She had felt good when Trini had said that Tommy was becoming closer to her than he was to the others. She had hoped that she wasn't the only one to feel the bond between them, and now here she had confirmation from Trini that Tommy felt the same way that she did. But there was still something she needed to know; something she knew she should've asked from the beginning. _'Should I ask? Do I really want to know?' _she asked herself. _'Yes, I do.' _Taking a deep breath, she turned to Trini to say something when she saw a blonde about their age heading towards them.

"Hey Tri?" she said, her eyes still on the blonde.

"Yeah Kim?" Trini turned to look at her.

"Who's that?" she asked, pointing to the girl.

"That's Kat," Trini said when she turned to look at where Kim was pointing. She watched as Kat walked over to Tommy and the others, pulling Tommy into a hug and a kiss. Trini mentally winced when she heard the sharp intake of air from Kim. "She's Tommy's girlfriend."

"His girlfriend?" Kim was shocked. She stood up, as did Trini, but kept her position. She could feel her heart pounding as she felt the hurt and disbelief course through her body. _'He has a girlfriend; I can't believe he has a girlfriend. Why didn't anyone tell me? Why didn't __**he**__ tell me?' _

_(Earlier w/the others)_

When Trini and Kim had walked off, Andros' eyes followed them before he focused on his friends and the game they were playing. He laughed when both Zhane and Rocky had dived after the Frisbee and ended up colliding with each other.

"Nice," Adam laughed as he watched the two try to untangle from each other and move to their feet.

"We did that on purpose," Zhane smiled as he brushed his clothes off.

"Sure you did," Zack laughed as he tossed to the football to TJ.

"We did!" Rocky spoke up as he too brushed his clothes off.

"If you say so," Curtis shook his head.

Jason and Tommy were standing together, looking at the two and laughing. In the past week, the group had gotten to know each other better and had spent every afternoon hanging out. Zhane and Rocky were always conspiring with each other, pulling pranks, making jokes and having friendly eating competitions against each other….all the while, Adam would repeat over and over that the two were truly twins separated at birth. As they stood there, Tommy found himself looking around for Kim. He was doing it discreetly, or so he thought until he heard Jason talk.

"Looking for Kim?" Jason asked with a smirk on his face.

"What makes you think that?" Tommy asked even as his eyes scanned around.

"Probably because you're not looking at me," Jason smiled. "And your eyes are moving all over the place."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Tommy said as he reluctantly dragged his eyes back to Jason's face, only to move them a second later when he saw Kim and Trini walking up in the distance and couldn't help it when his eyes lit up the closer they got.

"Sure you don't," Jason shook his head as he watched him. He saw the way his eyes lit up and looked around, seeing his girlfriend heading back to the group with Kim in tow. He turned back to his best friend. "Tommy."

"Yeah?" Tommy pulled his eyes from Kim and Trini who had sat down under a tree and turned back to Jason.

"Have you told Kim about Kat yet?" Jason didn't waste any time beating around the bush.

Tommy sighed and looked away before looking back at him. "No, I haven't."

"Why not?" Jason asked; he was a little frustrated with Tommy because he knew that the two were getting closer and he knew, as well as the others, that the feekungs between the two was only going to get stronger.

"I don't know," Tommy said; though in all honesty, he did know; he was afraid if he told Kim, then things would change between them. He really wanted her to like him and he knew that that would change if she knew he had a girl.

"What do you think is going to happen when Kat gets back?" Jason asked even as he shook his head. "Don't you think it's better that Kim hears it from you rather than her finding out when Kat gets back? Imagine how hurt she'll be. The two of you have become so close in such a short amount of time."

"I know all that Jase," Tommy sighed. "I do, and I know that I have to tell Kimberly about Kat before she finds out from someone else."

Jason nodded and was going to say something when he saw someone walking towards them. "I think it's a little too late for that bro."

"Why do you say that?" Tommy looked at him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because of that," Jason said as he jerked his head in the direction of the person.

Following his line of sight, Tommy looked over and his eyes widened in shock. "Kat?"

"Tommy," Kat smiled as she walked over to her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug before pulling back and kissing him. "I missed you."

Still in shock, Tommy was oblivious to the others coming towards them. "I missed you too." He looked up and his eyes locked on to Kim's. He tried to tell her with his eyes how sorry he was and that he would explain everything but when she just looked at him, he was afraid she wouldn't understand and it scared him. He felt relief throughout his body when he saw the subtle nod that she gave him, letting him know that she did understand.

"Katherine," Tanya's voice cut through his focus. "When did you get back?"

Kat pulled away from Tommy and allowed her best friend to pull her into a hug. "This afternoon; I stopped by the youth center and Ernie told me that you guys might be here as he hadn't seen you guys as yet."

"I missed you," Tanya smiled when the two pulled back from the hug.

"I missed you too T," Kat said. "Hey guys."

"Hey Kat," the others answered. "Welcome back."

Kat looked around the group and couldn't help the happiness that coursed through her for being back with her friends. She looked on in confusion at Zhane, Andros and Karone, not recognizing them. "Hi, I'm Katherine Hillard; I'm guessing you guys are new here."

"Yeah we are," Andros said. "I'm Andros Hart and this is Zhane Matthews and my sister Karone Hart."

"Nice to meet you guys," Kat smiled at them; she was a little surprised at the lack of enthusiasm or, for a better word, warmth that came from the trio.

"Yeah," Karone said her voice slightly cool. "It's nice to meet you too."

"So Jase," Kat turned to him shaking off the uneasy feeling and the slight hostility she picked up from the trio. "It's weird seeing you without Trini by your side; where is that girlfriend of yours anyways?"

"She's right there," Jason gestured behind her and Kat turned to see Trini walking over with a very beautiful, short brunette. _'Who is that? She's very beautiful.' _Unconsciously, she stepped closer to Tommy. She watched as the two girls stopped at the group, the brunette moving to stand next to Andros.

"Hey Trini," Kat smiled at her.

"Hey Kat," Trini gave a tiny smile. "Welcome home."

"Thanks," Kat said. "It's good to be home. So who's this?"

"I'm Kimberly," Kim spoke up. "Andros' twin sister; it's nice to meet you Katherine."

_(Back w/ Kim and Trini)_

Kim looked on as Kat kissed Tommy; she couldn't believe that he had kept the fact that he had a girlfriend from her. This past week, the two had spent every day hanging out together and talking with each other; him having a girlfriend was definitely something that should've been mentioned. She saw her brother stiffen in surprise and knew that he would be cool to Tommy until she gave him the ok. Deciding not to let the others see just how much it affected her, she took a calming breath and pulled on Trini's hand.

"Let's go."

Trini looked over at Kim and sighed. She knew that the girl was hurt, but she was hiding it. _'Tommy should've told Kim about Kat; __**I **__should've told her.' _"Alright Kim."

As the two girls walked over to their friends, Kim looked Kat over. _'She's really pretty; she definitely has that whole 'blonde, blue-eyed knockout' thing down.' _She thought to herself. She noticed that Kat was taller than her, almost as tall as Tommy and seeing the two stand close, she saw they made a handsome couple. Shaking her head, she looked up once again and her gaze locked on to Tommy's; she saw the apology in his eyes, as well as the regret and the message that they would talk. She gave him a subtle nod to let him know she understood. She walked past Rocky and Aisha and walked over to her brother. She felt his hand reach for hers and she grabbed it and laced their fingers together, his giving hers a squeeze. When Kat turned to her, she placed a smile on her face.

"Hi I'm Kimberly," she said. "Andros' twin sister; it's nice to meet you Katherine."

"Nice to meet you too Kimberly," Kat smiled at her.

"So how come we're just meeting you?" Zhane asked as he moved closer to Andros and Kim. He was a little angry as he had seen the kiss between the two and knew that they were together, knowing that Kim didn't know.

"I went back to Australia for a visit with my parents," Kat said. "We were supposed to stay another week, but I just missed my friends too much." She looped her arm through Tommy's and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I especially missed my boyfriend." She was oblivious to the nervous and uncomfortable look on said boyfriend's face or the look that he gave to Kim and the clenching of Andros' jaw.

"Well I would too if I had a boyfriend like that," Kim smiled even as she squeezed her brother's hand to let him know she was fine. "So, Kat how was Australia?"

"It was fun," Kat smiled over at Kim, even while an uneasy feeling came over her. She didn't understand why she would feel that way, especially since she's never met Kim before, and she unconsciously tightened her arm around Tommy's. "So what were you guys doing?"

"Just hanging out," Aisha said as she looked between Kim, Kat and Tommy. She noticed that even though Tommy was holding on to Kat, his gaze kept going to Kim. _'Trini was right, things will change.' _She looked back and forth between her friends before looking back to Tommy and saw that his gaze was still going to Kim. _'I wonder how long it'll be before things heat up between him and Kim and how long before things between him and Kat fall apart…I guess we'll just have to see.'_

* * *

**A/N 2: **hope you liked it. Ok, I ended it like this because I only wanted to focus on how everyone's reacting to Kim/Tommy and have the others finally meet Kat.

**A/N 3: **so, Kim and Kat meet each other, and Kat's feeling a bit uneasy in Kim's presence. Why is that? Is she picking up on the feelings between her boyfriend and Kim? What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out. Read and review and let me know what you think.

_Teaser:_

_Zhane couldn't stop the jealousy running through him as he watched the guy lean over to whisper something in Karone's ear. His hands tightened into fists when Karone smiled up at the guy._

…

"_Uhm, Ash?" Andros asked as he sat in the seat next to her. _

"_Yes Andros?" Ashley closed her book and smiled at him_

"_Can I ask you something?" Andros' gaze kept moving over the room, never keeping eye contact with Ashley ._

"_Sure," Ashley bit her lip as she hoped he was about to ask her what she thought he was._


	5. Ch 4: The More Things Change

**A/N: **next chapter. Enjoy

**Disclaimer: **Mitchell is mine as well as Curtis' girlfriend.

**O.P.D: **Sunday 7th, March '10.

_'Thoughts'  
**Conscience/Mind**_

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG_

_She noticed that even though Tommy was holding on to Kat, his gaze kept going to Kim. 'Trini was right, things will change.' She looked back and forth between her friends before looking back to Tommy and saw that his gaze was still going to Kim. 'I wonder how long it'll be before things heat up between him and Kim and how long before things between him and Kat break off…I guess we'll just have to see.'_

_(Now)_

It's been a few days since the others had met Kat; after the initial introductions, Andros, Zhane and Karone had been cool towards both Tommy and Kat, while Kim tried to avoid them. Kim knew that Tommy knew what she was doing, but she couldn't help it. Whenever Tommy had tried to talk to her, she had changed the conversation. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear what he had to say, it was more that she wasn't ready and she needed to think things through; because the truth was, a part of her hadn't been surprised to learn that he had a girlfriend. It was only after thinking over everything, she had realized that she was more hurt that he hadn't told her and had kept it a secret. Karone had apologized to Kim, saying that she had found out from Ashley and Cassie, but didn't want to tell her because she believed that it should've come from Tommy. And after talking with the others, she learned that that was their reasoning for not telling her as well; they had believed that Tommy should have been the one to tell her. Understanding their reasoning, she didn't stay mad at them.

It was now Tuesday, and Kim still hadn't talked to Tommy. He had been calling all weekend and when they hung out, she wouldn't let him talk. She knew that she couldn't avoid the discussion forever, so she made up her mind to talk with him. The juniors had a free period and while some of her friends had decided to hang out in the gym, the others had stayed in the classroom and she had decided to head to the library. As it was, she was sitting at a table at the back when she saw someone move to stand in front of her; looking up, she saw that it was Tommy.

"Can we talk?" he had a hand on the chair, waiting to see if she would finally allow him to explain things. "Please?"

"Sure," she smiled slightly, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Thanks," Tommy sighed as he dropped his book bag on the floor before sitting down.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" Kim asked after he had seated. She didn't want to beat around the bush and prolong it any further than was needed.

"You, me and Kat," Tommy answered. He had thought about nothing else over the weekend; he knew that he was wrong to keep Kat a secret from her, and he had understood why she was avoiding him. But he knew that they couldn't avoid it forever and he was desperate to know whether or not he would lose her in his life.

"I know," Kim sighed. "That's why I was avoiding the topic whenever you tried to talk to me before, because I wasn't ready to talk about it." She closed her books and pushed them to the side. She knew that the conversation was one they needed, because despite the fact that she now knows that he has a girlfriend, her feelings for him hadn't changed; she still liked him.

"Are you ready now?" he asked; he didn't want to push her into it, but he knew that they really needed the talk; he only hoped that he hadn't caused too much damage to their developing friendship and that whatever feelings she may have had for him were still there, because he didn't think he'd be able to stand not having her in his life.

"As I'll ever be," She smiled ruefully.

"First off," Tommy started. "Let me say how sorry I am I never told you about Kat."

"Why didn't you?" Kim asked; it was the one question that had plagued and one she truly needed an answer to.

"Honestly?" Tommy looked away before looking back at her. "I was afraid that if you knew that I had a girlfriend, then you would act differently around me."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"Kim," Tommy sighed. He knew that he needed to be completely honest with her and since he had already lied before, he didn't want to keep anything from her; he would have to tell her everything….including how he felt about her. "Kat and I have been dating since the summer after freshman year; I'm not the type of guy that would cheat on his girlfriend and I've never had any feelings for anyone else other than Kat, but when I met you, that changed. From the moment I saw you in the park, I knew that you were different; I couldn't understand why I was feeling this pull towards you, but all I knew was that I had to meet you. When we started hanging out together, I got to know you better and I realized that I was right; you were different from all the other girls and that intrigued me. It was only after the first day that I realized that I liked you a lot and you were someone I could fall in love with."

"Tommy," Kim's voice was soft as she listened to him. She had no idea that he had felt that way about her; she had hoped though, because she knew that she felt that way about him.

"Let me finish otherwise I'll never get it out," He stopped her from saying anymore; he needed to tell her before he lost his courage.

"Alright," She nodded.

"I didn't tell you about Kat because I truly was scared it would change the way you feel about me," He told her. "I am so sorry I never told you; do you think you can forgive me? Or at least understand why I did what I did?"

"Tommy," Kim started. "When I saw Kat kiss you last Friday and I realized that you had a girlfriend, I was hurt; I was hurt because you had lied to me. I know I never asked, but the fact is, that was something you should've told me when we first started hanging out and you didn't and that had hurt more than anything. I spent the past few days thinking things over and after hearing what you have to say now; I do understand why you did what you did. And I came to the conclusion that even if you had told me, it wouldn't have changed anything."

"What do you mean?" He asked; he hoped she was saying what he thought she was.

"What I mean is," Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear even as she bit her lip. "I still like you Tommy….a lot, and I think that even if you had told me from the start that you had a girlfriend, it wouldn't have stopped my liking you."

"Really?" Tommy couldn't help the huge smile that came over his face.

"Yeah really," Kim smiled at him. "You're different from other guys I've met and I know that you have a girlfriend, but it still hasn't changed anything. I like you a lot."

"I like you too," Tommy bit his lip, trying to stop another huge smile that threatened to break free.

"However," Kim sighed. She knew that what she was about to say, even though it was needed, wasn't something that either of them wanted to hear.

"What?" He asked; he knew that from the tone in her voice that it was something that he wouldn't really like.

"Tommy," Kim said. "You wouldn't be with Kat if you didn't have any type of feelings for her and I know that your friends mean the world to you….especially their opinions; you can't tell me that you wouldn't be worried about your friends if you suddenly break things off with Kat to be with me….no matter how much I'd like you too. And being new here, I like the fact that I made so many friends so quickly; I like them and I like hanging out with them, but the truth is, we don't know each other very well for this to happen; do you understand?"

"I do," Tommy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I may not like it, but I do. So what now? I mean, what do we do? I can't just turn off these feelings that I have for you Kim."

"And I'm not asking you too," Kim smiled. "That would be hypocritical of me as I can't turn off my feelings for you either. What I think we should do is focus on strengthening our friendship. And if down the road, our feelings become stronger, then we figure out what to do."

"So what you're saying is," Tommy leaned back in the chair as he looked at Kim. "Despite the fact that we like each other very much, we should hold off on doing anything and instead work on building a strong friendship?"

"Yep," Kim nodded. "I mean, that can't be too hard…right?"

"God I hope not," he sighed, which caused Kim to laugh. He smiled at her, loving the sound of her laughter. "Alright, I guess we're doing this."

"Ok," Kim smiled as she tried to get her laughter under control. "So what else about each other can we know?"

"I don't know," Tommy leaned forward. "Let's find out." the two spent the rest of the time talking, swapping stories and laughing with each other. The bond between them was growing stronger by the minute, as was their feelings. At one point, Tommy had grabbed hold of Kim's hands and was pretending to read her palm. Kim's laughter filled voice rang out with a cry of his name. The two continued on oblivious to the looks they were getting from Kat standing outside the library entrance.

_(With the others)_

The rest of the junior students were in their homeroom sitting around doing nothing; Karone, Ashley and Cassie had joined their class, while TJ and Curtis had gone to the gym, because they too had a free period and Mrs. Appleby didn't mind them being there. Upon entering, Karone noticed that Trini was talking with Aisha and Billy. With a smile, she headed over to them and had asked about her sister and the rest only to be told by Trini that she didn't know where Kat or Tommy had gone, but Kim had decided to go the library, while Jason, Adam, Tanya and Zack had decided to go the gym. One of the other students had called Ashley, so she had gone over to talk with her. Zhane was sitting with Andros and Rocky talking about their favorite teams while Karone was sitting with Cassie a few seats away. Cassie had decided to go to the bathroom and Karone was just about to get up when a student, a junior boy, leaned against the desk next to her.

"Hi," the guy said.

"Hello," Karone replied; she was wondering who the guy was and the reason why he was sitting there.

"I'm Mitchell," the guy said.

"Nice to meet you," Karone smiled slightly. "I'm Karone." A faint blush came across her cheeks and she ducked her head slightly to hide it; the guy was handsome. He was taller than her, with dirty blond hair, sea-green eyes, and a well muscled body. _'__**Though Zhane is better….**__whoa, where the hell did that come from? __**Don't bother denying it; you think Zhane is better.**__ I do not. __**Yes you do and don't argue with me, I'm you so I should know what you're feeling….you like Zhane, the sooner you admit, the better.**__'_

"Pretty name for a pretty girl," Mitch smiled down at her. He had noticed her when he came in and had wanted to get to know her.

"Thanks," Karone said. The two talked a bit more; completely oblivious to the looks they were getting from Zhane. After a while, Mitch felt as if someone was glaring holes into him; taking a subtle look around, he noticed that Zhane was the one that was glaring at him. A quick look told him that it was jealousy that was burning in his eyes. Immediately, he knew why and he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. Getting an idea, he leaned down and placed his lips close to Karone's ear.

"That guy over there is glaring holes in me," he smiled. "No, don't look up; I think he's jealous." He pulled back and smiled down at her.

"Are you sure?" Karone asked. When she saw his eyes brighten in delight, she couldn't help but to smile up at him. The thought of Zhane being jealous meant that he might like her and it made her feel good. _**'See, I told you that you liked him. **__I do, but now what? __**Tell him.' **_

"I have an idea if you're interested," Mitch said, mischief dancing in his eyes.

_(Zhane's POV)_

Zhane watched out of the corner of his eye as the guy sat on the desk next to Karone. He couldn't help it when his eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the two. _'she shouldn't be talking to him…__**and why not?....**__because….__**yes?....**__because she's mine; I like her….__**finally, you admit it, too bad it took another guy crushing on her for you to realize it….**__I know….__**so what are you going to do?....**__I don't know….__**sure you do; just tell her how you feel before some other guy makes a move on her.' **_He couldn't stop the jealousy running through him as he watched the guy lean over to whisper something in Karone's ear. His hands tightened into a fist when Karone smiled up at the guy. He watched as Karone said something to him before he replied, the two of them smiling at each other.

"I wonder why Mitch is talking to Karone,: he heard Rocky mutter from beside him.

"Mitch?" he heard Andros asked before looking over in the direction Rocky was nodding to. He saw the frown on Andros' face when he saw how close the guy was sitting to his sister. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Andros had turned to him and was going to say something but had stopped; he knew that Andros could see the jealousy on his face and while at any other time he would worry about it, right now he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Zhane?" he heard Andros calling his name. Reluctantly tearing his eyes away from Karone, he turned to his best friend. "Are you ok? And why are you glaring at Mitch?"

"No reason," he answered. He wasn't really in the mood to tell him that he wanted Karone for himself; Andros might consider him his best friend, but when it came to his sisters, he forgot about friendships and became the protective big brother.

"Now why don't I believe that?" Andros turned to him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

He jerked his head in surprise. "Jealous? Why would you say that? I'm not jealous. For me to be jealous that would imply that I like Karone….which I don't."

"I don't know," Rocky said. "I think he's protesting just a little too much, don't you Andros?"

"I think so too," Andros nodded. "Zhane, you're my best friend and I'm yours, which means that I know you better than anyone else, so I'm asking you and be honest….do you like Karone? And I don't mean the way I like her…do you like her as a potential girlfriend?"

He was quiet as he thought on what Andros had just asked. He didn't want to ruin their friendship if he did admit his feelings, but he didn't want to sit around and watch as guys hit on Karone and couldn't do anything about it and he most definitely didn't want to lose his chance at being with her. So he did the only thing he could and prayed that he wouldn't lose his best friend over it.

"Ok, you're right," he sighed. "I have feelings for her."

"It's about time you admitted it," Andros smiled.

"What?" he spoke; he was shocked because he had no idea that Andros thought beforehand that he had feelings for Karone when he himself had just figured it out.

"Yeah seriously dude," Rocky shook his head with a smile. "You took a while to wake up."

"How?" he looked between the two of them. "How did you know when I didn't?"

"Zhane," Andros spoke first. "I told you, I'm your best friend and I know you better than anyone….sometimes even yourself. A while back I saw how you would react whenever Karone got involved with a guy and at first, I thought that it was because you saw her as a little sister or something, but after time I realized that it wasn't any brotherly affections or protectiveness you had for her, but you genuinely liked her. I was just waiting for you to realize it."

"Adam was actually the one pointed it out to me," Rocky said. "The first day of school when we all went to the youth center, he told me how you too were exchanging looks."

"I can't believe this," he sighed. "So you're not mad that I want to be with her?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" Andros looked at him like he was crazy. "Zhane, I know you; I know you're going to treat my sister the way she deserves to be treated; you won't hurt her intentionally and I honestly believe the two of you would be good together and for each other. I couldn't have chosen a better person for her."

"Thanks Andros," he smiled at him. "Having your blessings means a lot."

"It's nothing," Andros waved his words away. "Now I think you ought to go over there before that guy asks Karone out."

"Alright," he nodded before getting up.

_(No one's POV)_

Karone looked up when she saw Zhane heading in her direction.

"Here comes lover boy," Mitch smiled.

"Shut it," Karone hissed as she smacked him in his stomach. "Why do you think he's coming over here?"

"Maybe because he felt threatened over the fact that I'm sitting next to you," Mitch said. "It does look like I'm not interested."

"Are you saying you're not?" Karone raised an eyebrow.

"You're not my type," Mitch smiled. "Because I play for the same team you play for."

"Wait," Karone looked at him in shock. "Are you saying you're—?

"Hello," she was interrupted by Zhane.

"Hi Zhane," Karone smiled up at him.

"Who's your friend?" Zhane asked through slightly clenched teeth. He was restraining himself from lashing out and hauling the guy from the desk and punching his lights out.

"The name's Mitchell," Mitch smiled up at Zhane. "But my friends call me Mitch." Mitch couldn't help but to chuckle inwardly at the look on Zhane's face; he knew that he was jealous and he was determined to use it. "I saw this beautiful girl sitting here all by her lonesome and I decided that she could use my company."

Karone couldn't help the flush that stole its way across her face anymore than Zhane could help the growl that escaped his lips or the way his fists clenched even tighter. Karone glanced up at Mitch and she saw the amusement dancing in his eyes as he looked at Zhane. Shaking her head slightly, she turned her attentions to Zhane. Seeing his reaction brought a sense of giddiness to her, but she didn't allow it to show; instead, she adopted a confused and mock angry expression on her face. "What's it to you if he chooses to sit here?"

"You don't know him," Zhane all but snarled. "And I don't like the way he was looking at you."

"Why does it matter to you if he looks at me in a certain way?" Karone asked as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You're my best friend and the little sister of my other best friend," Zhane said. "I have to look out for you." _'And you're also the person that __**I **__want to be with.' _He added mentally.

"And that's the only reason why you're looking out for me?" Karone asked, her mock angry expression quickly morphing into real anger. "You think I need protecting?"

"Karone," Zhane unclenched his fists and looked away before looking back at her. _'I can't tell her. __**Why not? **__What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if by telling her, I ruin things between us? __**What if the sky was black? What if the Earth was flat? All these 'what ifs' will do you no good; you will never know unless you tell her. **__I...I don't know what to do. __**Tell her.**__'_

"What Zhane?" Karone asked. "Just tell me; is there another reason why you hate how he was looking at me?" _'Just say it; tell me how you feel.' _When he said nothing, she shook her head and moved to get up. "When you get the courage to tell me the true reason, come find me."

With that she got up and walked out the classroom; Mitch followed her, throwing a smirk at Zhane over his shoulder. Zhane for his part, stood still as he watched the two of them walk out the door. _'What the hell just happened? __**You did, idiot. You had the perfect opportunity and you let her walk out. **__What was I supposed to do? __**Oh I don't know, how about TELLING HER?! **__Oh right. __**'Oh right' you know what you have to do right? **__Yeah. Apologize and then tell her how I feel….before it's too late. __**There may be hope for you yet.**__'_

Andros and Rocky looked on as Zhane bowed his head before he made his way back to them. With a sigh, he dropped into the chair he was in before.

"What happened?" Rocky asked. "Did you tell her?"

"From the looks of things," Andros said. "He either didn't get a chance to or he did and she rejected him….which I seriously doubt. So what did happen?"

"I didn't tell her," Zhane sighed. "I couldn't; I had the chance and I let it past me by."

"So what are you going to do?" Rocky asked; he hoped Zhane wouldn't give up because he did think that they would make a cute couple.

"I'm not going to give up if that's what you're asking," Zhane turned to him. "I want to be with her, I really do."

"Good," Andros nodded. "Just know that I'm behind you and if you need help, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks," Zhane smiled over at him. "That's good to know. Now, what are you going to do about Ashley?"

"What?" Andros' eyes widened in shock before his gaze quickly darted across the room to her and back.

"You heard him," Rocky smirked; it turned out Adam was right, and he had no problems helping the situations along. "You think those looks that you two exchange with each other are unnoticed?"

"Well," Andros started before stopping; his gaze once again went over to Ashley before looking back at the two. "Alright fine, I like her….I like her a lot, but I haven't said anything to her as yet."

"Why not?" Zhane leaned forward, eager to here; this was the perfect distraction to take his mind off of his own situation with Karone and it was good to know that he wasn't the only one that was having problems with the girl he liked.

"Honestly?" Andros looked between the two of them. "I'm a little scared because I'm not sure if she feels the same way about me."

"You'll never know unless you tell her," Rocky said. "Besides, nothing that's worth having is without risks. Just tell her; and if she doesn't feel the same, well, at least you'll know."

"Wow," Zhane looked over at his friend. "That was oddly insightful Rocky; should I worry about turning into a woman?"

"Shut up," Rocky laughed. "I've been known to be insightful now and again; besides, after being with Aisha for so long, she had to rub off on me at some point."

"He's right though," Zhane turned back to Andros. "Talk to her; ask her out on a date. If you don't, you'll regret it."

"I should," Andros sighed. "Besides, Kim already gave her blessing."

"Really?" Zhane asked. When Andros nodded, he smiled. "Well there you have it. So stop pussyfooting and go do it."

"Ok," Andros sighed before getting up and walking over to Ashley. He noticed that the girl that Ashley was talking had gotten up to leave. As he got nearer, he couldn't help the nervousness that overcame him. _'Come on Andros; you can do this. Just tell her how you feel. That's not so hard is it?'_

Taking a deep breath he stepped up next to the desk. "Uhm, Ash?" he asked as he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Yes Andros?" Ashley closed her book and smiled at him.

"Can I ask you something?" Andros ran his hand through his hair, a gesture that showed he was nervous.

"Sure," Ashley bit her lip as she hoped he was about to ask her what she thought he was. She truly liked him and she thought that he had feelings for her as well. "You can ask me anything."

"Ok," Andros sighed before he turned to look at her. "I know that we've only known each other for just about a week and…"

"And?" Ashley smiled at him, hoping to encourage him to ask his question. _'Come on Andros, just ask me.' _

"And I was wondering…." Andros trailed off; he truly was nervous to ask her because he really did like her and he was afraid she would say no.

"Yeah?" Ashley asked, excitement running through her.

'_You can do this. Just look her in the eyes and ask her.' _"Ash," Andros took a deep breath before looking directly into her eyes. "Do you want to go out on a date with me?"

"Yes!" Ashley neared shouted her answer; she was too excited as she couldn't believe that he had actually asked her out. Blushing, Ashley cleared her throat. "I mean, yes Andros, I would love to go out with you."

"You mean that?" Andros looked at her with wide eyes.

"Uh huh," she nodded. "I do; Andros, you have no idea how much I've wanted you to ask me that."

"Wow," he breathed a sigh of relief. "Probably about how much I wanted to ask you." The two shared a laugh before he took her hand and smiled at her. "So, when do you want to go?"

"How about Friday night?" Ashley smiled as she felt his hands tightened slightly on hers. "Since it's the weekend, we can stay out longer."

"Sure," Andros smiled at her. "That'll be perfect."

"OK," Ashley smiled, a slight blush on her face as Andros laced their fingers together and the two spent the rest of the time talking about their upcoming date and other stuff.

…

After she walked out of the classroom, Karone stopped just outside the door and leaned against the wall. Seconds later, Mitchell walked out.

"So?" Karone asked when she saw him.

"Oh yeah," Mitch smirked. "He likes you and he's jealous because he thinks we're interested in each other."

"Yes," Karone squealed as she threw her arms around Mitch. She pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "So what now?"

"We force his hand," Mitch smiled down at her. "He really does like you but I think he's a little afraid to tell you; so what we're going to do is bring his jealousy to the forefront. We're going to put him in a situation where he has to admit his feelings to you."

"When do we do that?" Karone asked as excitement lit up her eyes; she truly liked Zhane and she really wanted a chance with him.

"We can start now," Mitch smiled at her. "I mean no sense in prolonging it; you do want your guy right?"

"Yeah," Karone smiled.

"Well ok then," he said. "Do you want to go back in or do you want to walk around?"

"Let's walk," she said. "That way we can come up with ideas."

"Alright," Mitch smiled; he held out his arm to Karone and the two walked down the hallway.

_(In the Gym)_

Cassie smiled as she walked down the hallway. She had passed Karone with the guy and had gotten the details from her. She laughed when Karone had told her how she planned to use Zhane's jealousy to get him to admit how he felt and was anxious to see how it would play out; she was happy for her friend as it seemed like one of them was going to get the guy of their dreams. _'She's the first one to go; now it's just me and Ash.' _She shook her head as she walked back into the classroom. She looked up and she saw Ashley sitting with Andros; she was about to walk over their when she saw how close they were sitting and that they were holding hands. She must have made a sound because Ashley looked over at her. She raised an eyebrow and gestured to their hands; seeing the question, Ashley bit her lip as she nodded. She smiled at her and gave her two thumbs up, chuckling softly when she saw the blush on Ashley's face. _'Ok, first Karone and now Ashley…looks like I'm the only one out of the loop.' _Deciding not to interrupt the obviously newly formed couple, she mouthed to Ashley that she would want details later and went back through the door. As she walked down the hall, she was smiling as she thought on her friends and their situations. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that her feet had carried her to the gym until she heard TJ shouting her name.

"Hey Teej," she smiled at him when he came over.

"What are you doing here?" TJ asked when he stopped in front of her. "I thought you'd be with Ash or Karone."

"I was," Cassie said. "But I decided to leave them to their own devices."

"What happened?" TJ asked knowingly; he knew it had to be a reason why she wasn't with them. Even though she and Ashley had just met Karone a week ago, the three of them became close very quickly and you hardly found one without the other two close by.

"You know me too well," she smiled.

"Yes I do," he chuckled. "Now spill."

"Well apparently Ashley and Andros finally admitted how they felt about each other," she told him as she started walking to the stands. "And it seems like Zhane has kind of admitted that he has feelings for Karone."

"Seriously?" he looked over at her in shock. "And I missed all that?"

"Yep," Cassie nodded with a laugh. She sat down on the last stand, and TJ sat down beside her.

"Damn," TJ shook his head. "Well, I've got news too."

"Oh yeah?" Cassie looked at him. "What is it?"

"You know that girl Curtis has been checking since the beginning of the summer?" he asked. "Jessica Daniels?"

"Yeah," Cassie nodded. "Wait, don't tell me…"

"Yep," TJ nodded. "She finally said yes to him."

"It seems like everyone is hooking up," Cassie sighed. _'Everyone except me.' _Cassie was a little quiet as she thought on everything that happened today; Ashley and Andros hooking up, Curtis finally getting his girl, Karone on the way to get her guy….her friends were finding happiness and it seemed like she was the only one left out of the loop. _'I wish I really knew how TJ felt about me…I wish he felt the same way that I do.'_

"Speaking of hooking up," TJ spoke, his voice held a hint of nervousness; he had believed Curtis when he had told him that Cassie had feelings for him, but he hadn't done anything about it yet. He was truly terrified that Curtis might have been wrong. _'Better to do this so I can at least put myself out of misery wondering if she feels the same or not,' _He thought to himself.

"What about it?" Cassie asked, a little perplexed, wondering what else he would have to say.

"Well," TJ said. "I know that we've been friends for a long time and you know that you're one of the sweetest, most beautiful girls I've ever met; you're also one of the only girls that can talk cars with me, even if you do prefer art, and I like being with you…even if it's just hanging out and doing nothing. To me, you're different from other girls and I like that."

"Teej," Cassie's heart was pounding as she listened to him; _'Am I really getting my wish?' _"What are you saying? I mean, are you saying that you like me more than a friend?"

"Yeah," TJ looked away for a second before looking back at her. "I do; I really like you Cassie and I want to be with you….as your boyfriend; and I understand if you don't feel the same way and you only want to be friends, but I just wanted you to know. I still want to be friends with you—OOMPH!

He was cut off by Cassie's lips on his. The kiss went on for a few minutes before they pulled away. "Does that mean what I think it means?" TJ asked.

Cassie kissed him again before pulling back with a smile. "Yes it does; I like you too TJ, and I would love to be your girlfriend."

"No joke?" he asked as he brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"No joke," Cassie smiled at him before he captured her lips once more.

"Well it's about time," a voice said. The two pulled away and saw Jason, Curtis, Adam, Tanya and Zack standing there; it was Curtis that spoke.

"Hi guys," Cassie smiled up at them. The others all had smiles on their faces as they looked down at the two….all except Adam.

"TJ," Adam's voice was soft and completely devoid of any humor as he watched them. "You have ten seconds to explain to me exactly why you're making out with my little sister."

While TJ winced and the others smirked, Cassie groaned out loud; she had completely forgot about her brother and she knew that despite the fact that he liked TJ, it didn't stop him from slipping into his big brother mode. "Adam…"

"Five seconds TJ," Adam crossed his arms; he wasn't angry at him, since he had known for a while that the two of them liked each other, and as such, it was his prerogative as an older brother to defend his younger sister. "I'm waiting."

"Adam," TJ swallowed before he spoke again. "I know you probably want to kick my ass and I know that as a big brother you want to protect her from being hurt, but I promise you, I will never hurt her. I like Cassie, I like her a lot and I could see myself falling in love with her, if I haven't already, and I will do everything in my power not to hurt her and I will treat her like she's the most precious and important thing to me….which she is. So with that said, do I have you blessing to date your younger sister?"

Adam was quiet as he thought on what TJ had said; though on the outside he may have looked angry or dissatisfied, on the inside he was jumping for joy; to hear TJ say he was in love with his sister and would treat her right, and he had no doubt that he wouldn't, was more than enough for him.

"Adam?" Cassie called out cautiously; she really hoped her brother gave his blessing, even though she knew that wouldn't stop her, but she would rather have him ok with it than go behind his back.

Deciding to put them out of their misery, he dropped his arms and smiled. "Guys, I'm just messing with you, it's cool; besides, I've known all along how the two of you felt about each other."

"So you're ok with this?" Cassie asked because she wanted to be on the safe side.

"Yes I am," Adam smiled. "I'm happy for you Cass and I know that TJ really cares for you and he will be good for you."

"Thanks Adam," Cassie laughed as she got off the bench and wrapped her brother in a hug.

"You're welcome sis," Adam smiled at her. "I can see how happy you are and you deserve to be as happy as I am with Tanya and Trini is with Jason. I love you Cass."

"Love you too," Cassie whispered as she tightened her arms around his neck for a second before pulling back.

"Besides," Adam said as he let her go. "Mom and dad still have to know."

"Oh crap," both TJ and Cassie groaned.

"Oh yes," Adam laughed as did the others. "I went through it with Tanya and her parents and Jase went through it when he started to date Tri, so it's only fair."

"They're going to give him the third degree," Cassie buried her face in her hands.

"And dad is going to terrorize him," Adam added. "I feel for you."

"I can handle it," TJ said, though his voice was a little shaky. "I hope."

"I'll be there," Cassie grabbed his hand. "So don't worry."

"Hey guys," a voice said. They turned only to see Carlos Valerte, a fellow sophomore, standing there.

"Hey Carlos," TJ said. "What's up man?"

"Just enjoying the free period," Carlos smiled. "You guys know where Ashley's at?"

"She's in the junior's homeroom," Cassie answered. "Was there something you needed from her?"

"Not really," Carlos said. "I just want to ask her something."

"Hmmk," Cassie smiled at him.

"We I'll see you guys later," Carlos waved before walking out of the gym.

"Cass, have you seen Kat?" Tanya asked; she had thought her best friend would join her in the gym but the blonde hadn't shown up.

"No," Cassie shook her head. "She wasn't in your guys' homeroom when I went there."

"I wonder where she went," Tanya's brow furrowed a bit as she thought on her best friend.

"Maybe she's back in the classroom by now," Jason suggested.

"Could be," Tanya smiled. "Think we should head back?"

"Sure why not?" Adam shrugged.

"Besides," Jason smiled. "I miss my girl."

"You just saw her before you came here," TJ laughed. "You're such a sap."

"That's being in love," Curtis corrected. "Don't worry; you'll be like that soon." The others laughed as the group headed out of the gym. On their way, they passed Carlos, who had a pissed off look on his face. Puzzled, TJ called out to him, but got no response. They got back to the classroom and went over to their friends.

"Hey guys," Trini smiled up at them when they walked over. She leaned up for a kiss from Jason before turning back to her friends. "I thought you guys would spend the entire time in the gym?"

"We were," Curtis nodded as he took a seat next to Billy. "But we decided to come back here."

"Cass has something to tell you Tri," Adam smiled at his sister.

"Oh?" Trini turned to her sister. "And what's what?"

"TJ and I are together," Cassie said.

"Well it's about time," Trini smiled as she pulled her sister into a hug. "I've been watching you two for a while now and was wondering when you'd get together."

"Wait," TJ said. "Did everyone know we liked each other before we did?"

"Yes!" the group answered as one.

"Well damn," TJ laughed. "Boy were we behind." The others laughed along with him.

"Hey," Cassie said; eager to get the conversation away from how her and TJ had been blind to each other's feelings. "Did something happen between Carlos and Ashley?"

"What about Carlos and Ashley?" said girl asked as she walked over with Andros in tow.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" Cassie asked her best friend.

"How could something happen between us when I haven't seen Carlos all morning?" Ashley had a puzzled look on her face.

"But he came here," Curtis said. "He was in the gym with us and he said he wanted to ask you something and we told him you were here."

"He left after that," TJ continued. "He came straight here, but we passed him in the hallway and he looked angry."

"Well I don't know what was wrong with him," Ashley shrugged. "Because I never saw him."

"Did Kat come back here?" Tanya asked.

"No," Billy shook his head. "After Mrs. A gave us the free time, Katherine left the classroom, as did Tommy and Kim; either one of them has yet to return."

"I wonder where she got to," Tanya mused silently.

_(Kat)_

She hadn't really expected to end up at the library; when Mrs. A had given them the time, she was going to head to either the gym or to the swimming pool with Tommy; in the end, they had decided to go to the pool, which was fine with her as it meant that they would spend time alone as the pool was usually empty, but that was not to happen as Tommy had left saying there was something he needed to do. When she had offered to go with him, he had told her not to; she was a little hurt and confused as she silently wondered what he boyfriend needed to do that he couldn't tell her or want her with him. Not wanting to be by herself in the pool, she had gotten dressed and had decided to head back. On her way, her mind wondered once again to Tommy. _'Where did he go? Why couldn't he tell me? What does he have to do that he doesn't want his girlfriend?' _she sighed. Instead of going in the classroom, she decided to try and see if she could find Tommy. She walked down the hallways, not even realizing that she had ended up at the library. She shook her head, silently scolding herself, knowing that Tommy wouldn't be here and was about to leave to check the gym when a movement caught her eye. She turned back and was shocked to see Tommy sitting with Kimberly; she was frozen with disbelief. To her, it looked like they were having a serious conversation; after a while, she saw them smile before they laughed. She stood there for the longest while, jealousy, anger, disbelief and fear playing across her face as she watched them. Just looking at them, she could see the connection between them, something that she had thought she had with Tommy, but now she was not so sure. _'They look so….so good together…..as if they're a couple.' _She watched them, seeing the way Tommy held Kim's hand in his and the way they looked at each other. Another thought took hold of her, one that would change her relationship and friendship with Tommy and the others…though she had no clue. _'Is something going on between the two of them? Is something happening between Tommy and Kim?' _she thought about how Tommy had acted after she had come back; how he had been distracted and slightly distant from her, and how worried he was that Kim wasn't talking to him. _'Is Tommy cheating on me with Kim?'_

_  
_

* * *

**A/N 2: **ok, so A/A is finally together and so is TJ/C; I couldn't make things too easy for Z/K because I know they didn't have things easy in canon, that's why I created Mitchell; he should help stir things up and help Zhane along, but if you guys disagree and want him out and Z/K together right away, then let me know.

**A/N 3: **Kat's finally seeing T/K like the others do, and instead of confronting them, she jumped to conclusions….hope she didn't break something with that jump.

_Teaser:_

_A guy walked into the room; he was tall, about as tall as Tommy, and had startling blue eyes and blond hair. He had a nice body build; slim and nicely muscled; he was, in a word, handsome. The girls all looked at him, whispering and giggling while the guys just groaned. The guy walked over to where Jason and the others were._

"_Excuse," he said. "But do you know where I can find Kimberly?" Tommy, who was a few feet away, looked at him with narrowed eyes. Before anyone could say anything, Kim came in. The guy turned and smiled when he saw her. "Kimberly!"_

_Kim's eyes lit up as she flew into his arms._

…

_She knew she wasn't supposed to here, especially with him, but she couldn't help it; she was hurt and she wanted him to hurt as much as she was. As the guy kissed her, she couldn't help but think if __**he **__had done that with __**her. **_


	6. Ch 5: Jealousy Makes You Do Crazy Things

**A****/N:** I think this is my quickest update yet. Lol. Ok, this chapter is dedicated in part to **ghostwriter** who's review in chapter two gave me the idea for a part of it. Thank you!

**Jemlela: **you'd think so! But Kat is a teenage girl (no offense ladies!) and girls rarely do the "graceful" thing; they usually opt for revenge, which includes doing the same thing that the guy did to them (like cheating or lying).

**Falcon4Crane: **the talk with T/K was one of my favorite parts as well so I'm glad you liked it.

**A/N 2: **thanks to everyone who has this story on alert and favorites and to all those that reviewed. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Disclaimer: **Michael is mine.

**O.P.D: **Sunday 22nd, March '10.

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

…_.Another thought took hold of her, one that would change her relationship and friendship with Tommy and the others…though she had no clue. 'Is something going on between the two of them? Is something happening between Tommy and Kim?' she thought about how Tommy had acted after she had come back; how he had been distracted and slightly distant from her, and how worried he was that Kim wasn't talking to him. 'Is Tommy cheating on me with Kim?'_

_(Now)_

It's been a few weeks since school started and since Kim and Tommy had their talk. It was now approaching the middle of October and school was going fine for the group of friends. The friendship between Kim and Tommy kept growing, as did the relationship between Andros and Ashley and TJ and Cassie. Zhane still hadn't told Karone how he felt about, which was wearing on everyone's nerves, even Karone's; however she had refused to give up especially when she knew that he had feelings for her, and on the plus side, she was having fun with Mitchell provoking Zhane's jealousy. Kim had spoken to her, Zhane and Andros and had told them that she had talked things out with Tommy. After giving Tommy fair warning of hurting Kim like that again, the trio had forgave him and their friendships were back on track. It was a Saturday and the group had decided to spend the day at the park before heading to Ernie's if they got hungry. Kim and her siblings had been the first to arrive, followed by Aisha and Tanya.

"Hey guys," Kim waved when she saw them.

"Hey girly," Aisha laughed as she and Tanya walked over to the four of them. "Anybody else showed up yet?"

"Nah," Karone smiled. "Just us for now."

"Though I doubt it'll take too long for the others to show up," Andros said.

They all gathered around a bench and sat down, talking with each other as they waited for the rest of their friends. Before long, they heard someone calling out to them. They turned to look and saw Ashley, Cassie, Adam, Trini and TJ walking over to them.

"Hey guys," Trini smiled as they got closer.

"Hey," the others replied. Ashley moved to sit next to Andros, while Adam sat next to Tanya and Trini next to Kim and Aisha and TJ and Cassie next to Zhane and Karone. They hadn't sat down for five minutes when Tommy showed up.

"Hey guys," he said as he jogged over.

"Wait," Kim said. "Am I seeing right? Is Tommy actually here before everyone else and on time?"

"It can't be," Trini shook her head. "The world is ending."

"But I'm not ready for the apocalypse to happen," Kim's voice held a hint of mock hysteria.

"Oh shut up," Tommy grumbled well naturedly. "I can be on time."

"Ok Tommy," Kim said, patting his arm as he came to stand next to her. "Whatever you say." The others laughed at the look on his face as he dropped to sit next to Kim. Andros had his arm around Ashley's shoulder as he talked to Zhane and TJ, while Trini, Kim and Tanya spoke about their shopping trip Friday afternoon and the others just listened or looked around. Before long, the others showed. The friends all waved to the others, but Trini was the only one to see the flash of irritation on Kat's face when she saw where Tommy was sitting. Knowing that all of them wouldn't fit on the bench, the guys grabbed another one and pushed them together.

"Hi Kat," Kim smiled at her; she knew that under the circumstances, it might be weird, but the girl was important to the others, especially Tommy, and she was willing to try and be friends with her.

"Kim," Kat's voice was slightly flat when she answered; she knew she was being a little short with Kim, but she couldn't help it. _'It's like every time I turn around, the two are together….I'm his girlfriend damnit, not her.' _Shaking her head, she sat down next to Tommy and, though she knew it was a bit childish, she leaned into him. She was slightly ticked that all he did was glance at her before continuing his conversation with Kim.

"Tommy," She said. "My parents are out of town this weekend, so….do you want to come over? We'll have the house to ourselves."

"I can't Kat," Tommy said when he turned to her.

"Why not?" She straightened up and turned to him; she hoped he wasn't about to say he was busy with Kim.

"I'm helping my parents this weekend," Tommy said.

"Oh yeah," Kim turned to them. "What time should I be there?"

"Well," Tommy turned back to Kim. "They know we're at the park, so you can come by when we're finished."

"Tommy, can I talk to you?" Kat asked between clenched teeth. "Alone?"

"Sure," Tommy shrugged. The two got up from the table and moved a slight distance away. Kim followed them with her eyes, like the others did, before turning back to her friends. She felt a slight kick to her foot and when she looked up, her brother was looking at her.

He raised an eyebrow in her direction; _Are you ok?_

Sighing, she gave him a slight smile before nodding; _I'll be fine._

"I wonder what they're talking about," Aisha murmured as she looked over at Tommy and Kat.

_(Tommy/Kat)_

"What is it Kat?" Tommy asked when they stopped.

"Why can't you come over tonight?" Kat asked.

"I already told you," Tommy said. "I'm helping my parents this weekend."

"And why is Kim helping as well?" Kat crossed her arms; she didn't like the idea that Tommy was willing to spend time with Kim, but not with her. Truth be told, she didn't want her boyfriend around the brunette.

"Kim isn't helping me with my parents," Tommy told her, silently wondering why she was acting the way she was.

"Then why is she going to be at your place?" Kat asked; she was slightly confused and more than a little suspicious as to why Kim would be there if she wasn't helping them.

"What's with the twenty questions?" Tommy looked at his girlfriend.

"I'm not asking twenty questions," Kat shook her head. "I can't be a little peeved that my boyfriend doesn't want to spend time with me, but would rather spend it with someone else?"

"Don't be like that," Tommy sighed. "I'm helping my parents, not going out with someone else. And you know me; I'm not the type of guy to cheat." He shook his head before walking back over to their friends.

"I wish I believed that Tommy," Kat whispered. "I really wish I did." Sighing, she plastered a smile on her face as she walked back over to the others.

_(General POV)_

"So Kat," Tanya smiled at her best friend when she sat down. "I forgot to ask, but did you see the movie that I was telling you about? It was on last night."

"I think I fell asleep before it started," Kat laughed slightly. "I'm sorry; so what was it about?"

"Ballet," Tanya smiled at her. "I knew you might be interested because it had this history on it in the movie."

"I'm sorry I missed it," Kat smiled at her. She was about to say something else, but was interrupted.

"Hey guys." The group turned and saw two boys walking up to them.

"Hey Nick," Jason smiled at them. "Justin, what's up guys?"

"Nothing much," Justin answered. The two walked over and Justin stood next to his brother.

"Is dad home yet?" Billy asked his younger brother.

"Nah," Justin shook his head. "Mom is though; she had some errands to run and she finished early."

"Ok," Billy nodded. "I wonder what she had to do though; she never mentioned anything to me."

"Me either," Justin said.

Nick looked around the group and saw Kimberly at the other end of where he was. Smiling, he walked around until he was behind Kim, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey Kim."

"Hey Nick," Kim smiled as she reached up and held his hands in hers. "What's upwith my little phoenix today?"

"Are you still coming over tonight?" Nick asked her.

"Yep," Kim nodded. "I already promised you and I don't break those easily."

"Ok cool," Nick smiled as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "We're gonna have so much fun."

"I know," Kim laughed. "I can't wait."

"Hello Nick," Kat smiled at her boyfriend's younger brother.

"Oh," Nick looked at her. "Hi Kat."

Kat was a little put off by his actions, but she didn't show it. "How are things with you?"

"Good," Nick nodded, the action causing Kim's shoulder to rock a little, pulling a laugh from her and the others. To Kat's embarrassment, Nick ignored her by shifting his chin on Kim's shoulder to look at her. "So Kim, are you going to bring your guitar?"

"Yes," Kim reached up and ruffled his hair. "I figured what better way than to give you a crash course."

"Alright," Nick's smiled as huge.

"What's going on?" Trini asked; she had been a little ticked at Kat earlier for the way she answered Kim and the way she reacted when she heard Kim was going to be with Tommy over the weekend, but a part of her could understand as she would've been a little wary if her boyfriend was spending the weekend with someone as pretty as Kim.

"Kim's gonna come over and help me with music and other stuff," Nick looked up at her, though he didn't loosen his hold on Kim.

"He wants to know how to play the guitar," Kim told her friends. "So I'm helping him."

"Ahhh," Jason smirked slightly at Kat, though she didn't notice. "So that's why you're going to be at Tommy's."

"Uh huh," Kim nodded.

"So how do you two know each other?" Kat asked. "I mean, I don't think I've seen the two of you hang out together before."

"It was the first week of school," Kim answered. "We were hanging out at the park and I went back to Ernie's for a smoothie; Nick was there and I ended up talking to him because it looked like he was in a bad mood. I think we talked for almost an hour."

"We did," Nick laughed. "And then your brother came looking for you; and ever since that, whenever I needed someone to talk to, I'd go to her."

"That's one reason why Kim and I are always together so much," Tommy smiled at his little brother. "Because that little man over there was always asking for her."

"So?" Nick stuck out his tongue at his brother. "She likes me better."

"Says who?" Tommy crossed his arms over chest as he looked at them, the others laughing.

"Me," Nick smiled. "That's why I'm her little phoenix and you're not, right Kim?"

"Yep," Kim laughed. "I'm just using Tommy to get to you."

"Ha," Nick smirked at his brother. "Told you so."

"Whatever," Tommy laughed as did the others.

Kat looked at the trio; though she had felt slight relief that Nick was the reason Kim and Tommy were so close, she still couldn't help the jealousy at the camaraderie between all three of them. She was jealous of the fact that Nick was so open and relaxed with Kim when he only met her just last month and she has been Tommy's girlfriend since freshman year. Her gaze drifted to Kim and she watched her interact with the others. She could see how close she was to them and admitted that Kim and her siblings had fit right in with her friends; what she hated was the obvious closeness between her and Tommy. While she now knew that Nick was a reason for her and Tommy being so close, Kat knew it wasn't the only reason. _'They still spend far too much time with each other. And even if they're with us, sometimes it feels like we're not really there and they're in their own world.'_ She had tried to shake her jealousy and her thoughts of Tommy possibly cheating on her, but she couldn't. She shook out of her thoughts just in time to hear Nick and Justin saying goodbye.

"See you later Kim," Nick said as he walked away. "And don't forget your guitar."

"I won't forget phoenix," Kim waved bye.

"You and Nick seem really close for having just met," Kat said when Kim turned back to them.

Kim looked at Kat, silently wondering where exactly she was going. "Yeah, he's a nice kid and he was easy to talk to….well, not at first, but he opened up and we've been talking since."

"How did you get him to do that?" Trini asked. "I mean, we've known him for so long and he has never acted around us the way he did with you just now."

"Remember when we first met him?" Aisha chuckled.

"Oh yeah," Rocky laughed. "I've never met a kid that was so much trouble."

"What do you mean?" Zhane asked.

"Nick was…." Tommy shook his head for a second, a rueful smile on his face as he thought of his brother. "Nick was sort of rough around the edges when my parents first adopted him; he caused a lot of trouble and he would refuse to do what my parents or I would tell him."

"He told me about that," Kim smiled. "He said it was because he was afraid if he got too attached, he would be more disappointed if they sent him back."

"He told her that in the few weeks that they've known each other and it took us almost three months to get it out of him," Tommy smiled at Kim.

"That's my sis for you," Andros laughed. "She has this aura about her that makes it easy for people to open up to her."

"I know," Tommy said. The adoration in his eyes was plain for everyone to see and they all knew that whatever was happening between him and Kim was getting stronger.

"Why do you call Nick little phoenix?" Kat asked. Drawing the attention of Tommy and Kim; it had hurt her to see the look in his eyes and it only cemented the thought in her mind that Tommy was cheating on her with Kim.

"Well," Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a coy smile on her face. "Not too be rude, but that's our secret; I promised him I would keep it between us until he's ready to tell."

"Cool," Zack smiled over at her.

"That's understandable," Tanya smiled at Kim. "And I know firsthand why Nick opened up to you and why Andros said you have an aura about you." during the course of the beginning of the school year, due to their love of music, Kim and Tanya had spent a lot of time together and had gotten to know each other even better.

"So," Adam looked around at his friends. "What are we doing for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Football!" TJ and Curtis shouted as one. The group laughed as they got up from the benches.

…

It was now the end of October, and the students were excited because of the Halloween Dance that was coming. It was Monday and Halloween was on Saturday, so the school was having the dance Friday night. Classes would go until ten a.m. before the students would leave to get ready for the dance at seven p.m.

"I'm so excited about the dance this Friday," Kim smiled at her friends. The juniors were all together since the teachers were having a meeting about midterms; the only downside though, was that unlike last time, the students had to stay in their own home room.

"Me too," Tanya said, her voice ringing with excitement. "We're definitely going shopping this afternoon, right?"

"Yep," Kim nodded. "That suit you were watching would look really cute on you."

"So what are you guys going as?" Rocky asked.

"It's a surprise," Aisha smiled at her boyfriend. "You guys aren't finding out until the dance on Friday."

"Aww man," Rocky groaned. "That's no fair; how are we supposed to dress alike?"

"I would imagine that you of all people Rocky would use this opportunity to do something outrageous and get away with it," Billy smiled at his friend.

"It's ok Rocky," Aisha patted him on the hand. "You can dress how you want; I won't be upset with you. After all, it is Halloween and it is a costume part; and knowing you, the costume will be outrageous."

"You know it will," Adam laughed.

"Hey Kim," a girl across the room called. "Come here a sec."

"Ok," Kim turned to her friends. "Be right back."

"So what are you guys going as?" Trini asked her boyfriends and her friends.

"Well," Zack smiled. "If you girls aren't telling us what you're going as, I don't see why we should tell you guys."

"So I guess our costumes will be a secret from each other until the dance," Jason smirked. "I can't wait to see how you girls are going to be dressed."

"And we can't wait to see yours either," Kat smiled. She was about to say something else when a guy walked into the room; he was tall, about as tall as Tommy, and had startling blue eyes and blond hair. He had a nice body build; slim and nicely muscled; he was, in a word, handsome. The girls all looked at him, whispering and giggling while the guys just groaned. The guy walked over to where Jason and the others were.

"Excuse me," he said. "But do you know where I can find Kimberly?" Tommy, who was the closest to him, looked over at him with narrowed eyes. Before anyone could say anything, Kim came back over. The guy turned and smiled when he saw her. "Kimberly!"

Kim's eyes lit up as she flew into his arms. "Oh my God." Kim laughed as she pulled back from the guy. "What are you doing here?"

"I can't come see my favorite girl?" the guy teased.

"Zack," Kim warned, though a smiled was playing on her lips.

"Alright, alright," Zack smiled. "My parents were going out of town and I came with them; apparently they don't trust me to not destroy the school if they left me there."

"I bet Mr. B was glad to see you gone," Kim smiled.

"Yes he was," Zack laughed. "As to why I'm here; they have a friend that works on the Board of Committee and they wanted to visit him. So, we'll be here for a week before we head out to wherever they're going."

"That is so awesome," Kim laughed as she pulled him into a hug again, oblivious to the dark looks that Tommy was throwing at them.

"It's sad when one of your best friends ignores you for your sister," Andros said as he watched the two.

"I know," Zhane sighed. "I mean, considering we were friends with him before he was friends with Kim, we should have first priority."

"Hey guys," Zack laughed as he turned to the two. "Sorry about that, but you know I only became friends with you to get close to this beauty here."

"I have never felt so used," Zhane sniffed as the others laughed.

"Uhm," Trini smiled. "Not to interrupt, but introductions please?"

"Oh," Kim said. "Sorry about that; Zack, this is Trini, Adam, Jason, Billy, Zack, Rocky, Kat, Tanya and Tommy; guys this is Zack Morris, he went to Bayside High with us."

"Nice to meet you guys," Zack smiled at them.

"Same here," Tanya answered back.

"So you're here for a week huh?" Andros looked over at him.

"Yep," Zack M nodded.

"You can come to the Halloween Dance with us," Kim looked up at him. "It's on Friday at seven…that is, if you want to?"

"Kim," Zack M smiled down at her. "You know me; do you really think I would pass up the opportunity?"

"No pranks Mr. Morris," Kim wagged a finger at him. "This isn't Bayside and I don't think Angel Grove High could handle whatever you would come up with."

"Plus," Andros shook his head. "When you add Zhane and Rocky to the mix….definitely no pranks."

"Aww man," Rocky sighed. "You guys just ruined my fun."

"So," Kim looked at Zack. "What's been happening at Bayside? I miss you guys and we need to catch up, so come on; sit, spill."

"Ok, ok," Zack M laughed. He leaned against the desk Andros was sitting in, with Kim leaning against him since he had yet to release her from his embrace. He caught up with Kim and swapped stories with the others while Tommy looked on at the closeness between the two with jealousy pooling in his eyes. About ten minutes later, Kim moved to go the bathroom, seeing his chance, Tommy waited a few minutes before following her, not realizing that his girlfriend was following him with her eyes. Kat, after a few minutes, got up and made her way out the door heading in the direction she saw Tommy going.

When Kim came out the bathroom, she saw Tommy leaning against the wall opposite the door.

"Tommy," she smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he said.

"About?" Kim asked as she walked over and stood in front of him.

"What's going on between you and Zack?" he asked; he couldn't help the possessiveness to his voice or the jealousy that came up inside of him as he thought on the two together.

"Why would you ask that?" Kim cocked her head to the side and looked at him. After a few minutes, her eyes widened slightly while a smile pulled at her lips. "You're jealous."

"I know I shouldn't be," Tommy sighed as he ran his hand over his head; he saw no point in denying her words. "We're not together and I have a girlfriend, but I can't help it."

"You don't have to worry," Kim reached out and touched his arm. "There's nothing going on between me and Zack; he's one of my closest friends and he's also dating another one of my closest friends."

"Really?" he looked in her eyes; he always seemed willing to lose himself in the doe-brown pools.

"Yes really," Kim smiled. "And I like the fact that you're jealous."

"Really?" he leaned off the wall; his new position had her looking up at him as he had moved slightly closer.

"Yes," Kim said as she took a step closer.

"Would it be bad if I told you I wanted to kiss you right now?" Tommy asked as he grabbed her hand to lace their fingers together.

"Only if it's bad that I want you to," Kim whispered. "But we can't."

"I know," he sighed as he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. "I can't do this much longer Kim; I want to be with you."

"So do I Tommy," Kim swallowed before she pulled back to look in his eyes. "But not while you're still with Kat."

"I know," he said as he took a step back. "Soon Kim, because I don't think I can stay away from you any longer."

"I don't think I can stay away from you either," Kim said. "It's like, every time I try to fight it, I always find myself drawn back to you."

"I have to talk to Kat," Tommy told her.

"It won't be pretty," Kim replied.

"I know," he said. "But I have to; I don't want to hurt her, but if I don't end it now, she'll only be hurt more in the long run."

"I know," Kim leaned into him, smiling when his arms closed around her. She pulled back after a few seconds. "With the way things are going between us, I know you'd rather end it before you end up cheating."

"Now I just have to figure out when I'm going to do this," Tommy leaned back against the wall. "I don't want to do it the night of the dance, but I really want to get it over with."

"Then how about after the dance?" Kim said. "You can do it over the weekend; at least that way, she'll have time to deal with it before school on Monday."

"Ok," Tommy let out a breath. "I'm breaking up with my girlfriend of three years on Saturday."

"We don't have to, you know," Kim told him, almost as if she was trying to give him a way out.

"No," he grabbed her hand. "I want to do this Kim; I want to be with you, and I'm sorry that Kat is going to get hurt, but I can't see any other way to do this. What I feel for you, I don't feel for her."

"Ok," Kim smiled at him. "I was just trying to give you a way out in case you wanted to change your mind."

"Never," Tommy smiled at her. "Now, let's go back before they come looking for us."

"Alright," Kim laughed. Kat, realizing they were headed back, hurried back to the classroom. Kim and Tommy were silent as they walked back to the classroom but before they could go in, Tommy stopped her.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"It's just….do you have to be so….so close to him?" Tommy asked, slightly frustrated as he thought on the way Zack was holding Kim; he had been so angry and he had wanted to pull her from his arms and demand that he stayed away from her. Only the thought that Kim _wasn't _his girlfriend and his real girlfriend was sitting there, including their friends, had stopped him.

"He was one of my best friends back at Bayside and we were always like that," Kim laughed. "But I'll try not to be."

"I'm being a jerk, huh?" he asked sheepishly.

"A little," Kim smiled at him. "But it's fine."

"It might be hypocritical but I just don't like seeing anyone else touch you," he said.

"I feel the same way every time I see you with Kat," Kim murmured.

"Don't worry," Tommy smiled at her. "This weekend I'll break things off with Kat and then you and I can finally be together."

"I can't wait," Kim smiled slightly before it dimmed. "I should feel bad about what's going on, but I can't; I really am sorry that Kat will be hurt, but I can't deny my feelings for you and I can't get rid of them either….I don't want to."

"I feel the same," Tommy said. "Come on, let's go."

When they entered the classroom, the two were smiling. Kim, while loving the fact that Tommy had gotten jealous, didn't want to push things so she passed Zack and sat down on her brother's lap, who although seemed to be in a slightly deep conversation with Billy, wrapped his arm around her waist automatically.

"Even after all this time," Zack T shook his head at them. "You guys still freak me out with that twin thing."

"They used to do that all the time back at Bayside," Zack M laughed. "It drove people crazy."

"So Zack," Kat smiled up at him, though it was slightly strained. "It's nice of you to come all this way out here just to see your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Zack M looked confused for a second before he started laughing. "Kim's not my girlfriend. I do have a girlfriend but it's not Kim; she's more like my sister and she's one of the reasons my girl and I are together."

"Well with the way the two of you greeted each other," Kat told him, her smile completely gone.

"It's ok," Zack M smiled. "People react that way all the time whenever they see us together."

"We're used to it," Kim smiled from her place on her brother's lap.

"Oh," Kat said.

"Kat are you ok?" Tanya asked her.

"I'm fine," Kat waved away her concern and plastered a smile on her face, showing none of the distress that she had inside. She listened to her friends talk and her eyes kept straying between Tommy and Kim. The scene she had witnessed outside the bathroom haunted her; though she couldn't make out what they were saying, she saw the actions between them and coupled with the jealousy she had seen in Tommy's eyes when he saw Kim and Zack hugging had only confirmed her suspicions; Tommy was cheating on her with Kim. The knowledge hurt but she was determined not to show it to anyone; she didn't want their pity. As she with her friends throughout the day, she paid close attention to Kim and Tommy; she saw the looks they gave each other and the way their hands seemed to touch whenever they were in close proximity. As she watched them, her jealousy turned to anger and with that anger came a determination and need to hurt Tommy like the way she was hurting. It was now after lunch and she had just left the others to go to her ballet class. Though the class wasn't for another twenty minutes, she had opted to leave early because she couldn't stand to see what she thought were loving touches between Kim and Tommy. About a few feet from her class, she wasn't paying attention and she walked into someone. Both fell to the floor with a groan.

"I'm sorry," Kat said as she sat up. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Neither was I," the person said.

Looking up, Kat realized that it was Michael Davis; he was a senior and he was the complete opposite of Tommy. Whereas Tommy had dark hair, dark brown eyes and slightly dark skin tone, Michael was blonde with light blue eyes, so light they looked grey, and his skin was considerably lighter than Tommy's though darker than Kat's.

"Oh," Kat smiled at him. "Hi Michael."

"Katherine," Michael nodded as he helped her to her feet. "How come lover boy's not attached to your hips?"

"Probably because he's attached to Kimberly's," Kat muttered bitterly.

"What's this?"Michael smirked at Kat. "Trouble in paradise?" it was no secret that Michael had a grudge against Tommy; before Tommy started at AGHS, Michael was practically the most popular boy at the school. He was captain of the football team, dating the head cheerleader and excelled in most classes. But then Tommy came along and Michael found himself with a rival. Tommy was good at football, so good that he was a shoo-in for the captain position in his senior year, all the girls liked him because of his looks and his shy nature, including the head cheerleader and he was a pro at Martial Arts which made him an instant favorite. In his three years at AGHS, Tommy had become the most sought after and most popular guy in the school, a fact which pissed Michael off to no end. Michael was always trying to find away to bring him down, but nothing had seemed to work. Then Kimberly had shown up at the school; Michael had seen that she was different from the other girls and he had wanted her for himself. But lo and behold, Tommy got there first. Despite the fact that he had a girlfriend, the two had hit it off and Michael new that he wouldn't have a chance with the girl. To him, he felt cheated and had wanted a way to get back at Tommy and now, it seemed as if opportunity had come knocking on his door.

"Believe me when I say that from the day Kimberly entered this school," Kat said. "Our relationship has been anything but paradise."

"You think he's cheating on you?" Michael asked.

"From what I've seen of the two of them," Kat said. "I'm hard-pressed to think otherwise; but they think they're so smart and I don't know what's going on, but I do."

Michael stared at Kat; he could hear the hurt and anger in her voice and a part of him couldn't help but to feel sorry for her. But he pushed that part away and focused on the situation; he had the perfect chance to break up Tommy's relationship with Kat and he knew just how to do it.

"Well I don't blame you for thinking that; in fact, I think they are together behind your back. I don't want to say this, but I saw them one day in the library," he told her. "They were talking and it looked pretty serious, and then Kim got up for a book and Tommy followed her. I looked up and I saw them kiss." It was a lie of course; Tommy and Kim were talking, but they never kissed….Kat didn't need to know that though.

"I knew it," Kat whispered. "How could he do this to me?"

"You're a beautiful girl Kat," Michael said as he reached out to run a finger down her cheek. "I don't know how Tommy could cheat on you."

"Well I'm not enough for him apparently," Kat muttered; in the back of her mind, she was wondering why she was letting him touch her like this and why she hadn't just confronted Tommy about what she knew. Pushing those thoughts away, she looked at Michael.

"I don't see why," Michael stepped closer to her; he was close enough to feel her breath against his lips. "I like you Kat, a lot."

"I can't do this," Kat whispered.

"And why not?" he asked. "He's not thinking about you; I won't do anything unless it's what you want, but I'll give you a taste of what could happen." He leaned down and gave her a soft, chase kiss. When he pulled away, he smiled at the soft whimper that escaped her. He kissed her once more before walking away. _'That should fuel her interest,' _he thought to himself as he walked down the hallway. _'Soon, she'll be back and then Tommy won't know what hit him.' _

Kat stood watching him. _'What just happened? What did I just do?' _Shaking her head, she walked to her class. As she did her routines, her mind kept going over the kiss and its implications. _'I can't possibly be thinking about doing this…..am I? Tommy isn't thinking about me. All he thinks about is his precious Kimberly.' _When the class was over, Kat absently gathered her stuff as her mind was still going over everything. _'I can't believe I let Michael kiss me. What was I thinking? __**You were thinking of getting revenge against Tommy for cheating on you with Kim. **__But am I better than Tommy by doing the same with another guy? __**Do you really think he's thinking of being better? He's with Kimberly; he deserves to be as hurt as you are. **__Is this really the way to go about it though? Can I really do this? I mean, I'm not even sure that Tommy _is_ actually cheating on me. __**Don't be blind; you've seen the way they look at each other and the way they act around each other; fine then. Just look at them….look at them and you will see. **__I love Tommy; I would never hurt him like that and he loves me so he wouldn't hurt me like that either.'_ She was so into her thoughts that she didn't see Tanya until she was right in front of her waving her hand.

"What is it?"

"Kat," Tanya looked at her friend, a confused look on her face. "I've been calling your name since I saw walking down the hallway. What had you so deep in thought that you didn't hear me?"

"Nothing," Kat smiled as she waved away Tanya's concerns. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Ok," Tanya smiled at her. "If you say so."

"I do," Kat laughed. "Now come on; just one more class and then we can get out of here."

"I'm so glad for that," Tanya sighed. The two girls linked arms as they walked to their final class for the day. As they walked in, Kat's breath caught in her throat; their friends were over in the back corner of the room and in the last to chairs were Tommy and Kim. The two were sitting close together and were bent over a book; Tommy's hand was resting on the back of Kim's chair while Kim's hand lay on the table between them. _**'You were saying? **__They could be partners? __**Please….class hasn't even started yet; open your eyes Kitty Kat and see what's in front of you.' **_Kat watched as Tommy moved Kim's hair from her face, a small smile on his, before turning back to the book. _'He's cheating on me.' _Kat's eyes narrowed as she walked over to the rest of her friends with Tanya. When they got close, both Kim and Tommy looked up.

"It's about time you guys got here," Kim smiled.

"Shush Kim," Tanya laughed.

"We were talking," Kat smiled, even though it didn't reach her eyes.

"How was ballet?" Tommy asked his girlfriend. "Relaxing as always?"

"No," Kat answered. "I had a few things on my mind and I couldn't get rid of them like I always do."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tommy smiled at her.

"Oh hey Tommy, look," Kim gestured to something in the book. "I found it."

"You did not," Tommy turned back to her. "Let me see."

"What are you doing?" Tanya asked.

"It's a magazine on MMA," Adam answered. "There's an article in there about the latest sensation JDF."

"JDF?" Tanya looked confused.

"Jason David Frank," Kim answered, her eyes not leaving the page. "He's one of Tommy's favorite; he didn't believe me that he was in the magazine, so I wanted to prove it to him."

"Ahhh," Tanya shook her head. "I get it."

Nothing else could be said because the teacher came in. Throughout the class, Kat's gaze kept straying to Kim and Tommy; when she saw Tommy playing with Kim's hair, tears filled her eyes and she ducked her head so no one would see. _**'I told you. **__Alright I believe you now; what do I do?__** The same thing he's doing…..' **_Kat knew then and there that she would hurt Tommy the way he was hurting her; if he could do it, then so could she. She wiped her tears discreetly before focusing on the teacher. By the time school ended, Kat had made up her mind. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help it; all she cared about was revenge. She was with the others waiting at their lockers for the juniors.

"Hey guys," Billy said when he saw them walking over. To his surprise, Ashley stormed directly to Andros who, when he saw her coming, turned in her direction.

"Ash, what's wrong?" he asked as he pulled her into a hug.

"Carlos is what's wrong," Cassie said as she stopped in front of the group, her arm around TJ's waist.

"What happened?" Kim asked as she closed her locker.

"Well," Curtis started. "Everyone knows Ash is with you now, but I guess Carlos couldn't accept it."

"What did he do?" Jason asked.

"It was just after class was over," Cassie spoke up. "He came over to where we were sitting…."

_Flashback_

"_Hi guys," Carlos said as he walked over to them. _

"_Hey man," TJ smiled up at him. "What's up?"_

"_Nothing much," Carlos replied."Hey Ash, can I talk to you?"_

"_Sure Carlos," Ashley smiled at him before moving to her feet. "What is it?"_

"_Uhm," Carlos looked away for a second before looking back. "I like you and I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me?"_

"_Oh," Ashley was shocked silent for a few minutes. "Carlos, uhm, you know that I have a boyfriend, Andros, and we've been together for a while now."_

"_I saw you guys that day in the junior's homeroom," Carlos said bitterly. "I was hoping it wasn't true."_

"_It is true," Ashley said. "How can you think otherwise when we've spent so much time together? He's walked me to class and we've gone on dates."_

"_But he doesn't know you Ash," Carlos looked at her. "And he can't love you like I could."_

"_And I don't know him either," Ashley crossed her arms over her chest. "But I like him and I'm dating him because I want to get to know him better."_

"_Ash, please, just give me a chance," Carlos looked at her._

"_I'm sorry Carlos," Ashley shook her head. "I really am; but I don't feel that way about you." she turned to walk off, but Carlos grabbed her arm. "Let me go."_

"_Ashley, don't do this," Carlos pleaded. _

"_I am sorry," Ashley said as she pulled her hand arm away. "But I want to be with Andros."_

"_How can you be such a bitch?" Carlos snarled quietly as to not draw much attention._

"_What?" Ashley was shocked and hurt by his questions. She looked around and caught Cassie's attention; when she saw she was heading their way, she turned back to Carlos._

"_Here I am, telling you how I feel," Carlos hissed. "And you're being a bitch about it."_

"_I'm not being a bitch Carlos," Ashley replied. "I told you I don't feel the same way, and I'm being polite about it; you're the one reacting like this."_

"_You're being stupid Ash," Carlos told her. "Do you really think you'd be enough for him? You think he'd be satisfied with you? Don't kid yourself. He'll dump after he gets what he wants from you."_

_Ashley's eyes filled with tears as she listened to him, but she refused to let them fall. "This is why I could never be with you; I could never be with someone that would hurt like you just did." With that, she walked away from him, Cassie following her._

"_That was uncalled for," TJ shook his head at him. "I can't believe you're such an asshole; our friendship is over." Shaking his head once more, he followed Ashley and Cassie with Curtis behind him._

_End flashback_

"He said that?" Andros' eyes narrowed as he looked down at his girlfriend. "Hey, look at me." When she did, he continued. "He was wrong, ok? I'm not going to dump you and you are definitely enough for me, ok?"

"Ok," Ashley nodded.

"Where is he?" Kim asked; her eyes were hard and her voice was cold, surprising everyone, except her siblings and Zhane. "Ashley, where…is…he?"

"Probably at his locker," Ashley answered. "Why?"

Kim said nothing as she slammed her own locker and headed up the stairs where the sophomore lockers were located. Andros removed his arms from around Ashley to grab her hand and followed his sister.

"What's going on?" Trini asked as the others followed Andros and Kim.

"Yeah," Zack T said. "I've never heard Kim sound like that before."

"Memories," Zack M said as he followed them.

"What do you mean?" Aisha asked; now concerned as to what could have happened to Kim to cause her to react like this.

"I can't tell you," Zack M answered. "It's Kim's secret to tell, not mine."

They were silent as they got to the sophomore floor and saw Kim heading to where Carlos was leaning against his locker talking to some friends. Exchanging looks with each other, the friends hurried over and reached in time to hear Kim's question to Carlos.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"What?" Carlos was stupefied as to why she was standing in front of him.

"Don't play dumb even though it's a good look on you," Kim said coldly. "I'm talking about what you said to Ashley."

"What's it to you? Carlos sneered at her.

Kim pushed him against the locker…hard. "Because she's my brother's girlfriend; and I don't appreciate what you told her." Tommy and the others looked on at Kim in shock; Carlos looked at her in slight fear. "Listen here and listen well; you may think you're God's gift to women but you're not. You're nothing more than a pathetic loser who thinks that it's fine to demean a girl just to satisfy your own freaking insecurities."

"I'm not—

"I'm not finished," Kim cut him off. "Guys like you don't deserve to have girlfriends at all; all Ashley did was tell you that she didn't feel the same way about and you turned around and became an asshole about it. I hate guys like you who think they're all that when they're not. Stay away from Ashley Carlos, or I swear to God you will regret it." she pushed away from and started to walk away.

"Bitch," Carlos whispered. Unfortunately for him, it was heard by everyone, including a very over protective brother and a potential boyfriend. But before either one could do anything, Kim whirled around and punched him. Everyone stared at Kim in shock; she said nothing and walked off. Tommy looked at the others before he followed her, along with Zack M, Zhane, Trini and Aisha. Andros stepped to Carlos and leaned down.

"Come near my sister or my girlfriend again," he said. "And that punch won't be the only thing to happen to you." Then, he walked off with the others to find Kim. They walked until they got outside and saw her standing off to the side in a hug with both Trini and Aisha and Tommy's hand on her shoulder. When she saw her brother, she pulled away and went directly into his arms.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he closed his arms around her.

"I'll be fine," Kim whispered. She pulled back from the hug and looked up at him. "I will be." She stepped back and Tommy moved next to her, placing his hand on the small of her back, a move that was seen by Kat as she was standing behind them.

"Are you sure?" Zack M asked her; he was a little worried as he knew that it had brought back bad memories for her.

"I'm sure," Kim looked over at him and smiled knowing why he was so worried.

"Ok," Zack M smiled at her. "Let's get out of here; I want to check out this youth center of yours."

"Alright," Kim laughed. Tommy's hand stayed on her back as the group headed to their cars.

"You guys go ahead," Kat said. "I forgot something in my locker."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tommy turned to her.

"No," Kat smiled. "It's fine; I'll meet you guys there."

"Ok," Tommy smiled at her. "Just hurry; we wouldn't want to lose our ballerina."

"I will," Kat laughed lightly. She waved at them before heading back into the school, a determined look on her face. It didn't take her long to find who she was looking for. "Michael."

"Katherine," Michael smiled when he saw her. "What can I do for you?"

She grabbed his hand pulled him into an empty classroom. "You were right."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, though inside he was cheering.

"Don't be," Kat told him. she looked up at him and took a step closer. "I'm not sure if I should be doing this."

"Don't think about it," he told her as he raised a hand to her brush across her cheek. "Don't think at all." Not giving her a chance to say anything, he captured her lips in a kiss. Kat hesitated for a few seconds before she responded; she moved her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. She knew she wasn't supposed to here, especially with him, as she was supposed to meet her friends, but she couldn't help it; she was hurt and she wanted him to hurt as much as she was. As Michael kissed her, she couldn't help but to think if **he **had done that with **her. **by the time she pulled back from the kiss, she was sitting on a desk with Michael standing between her legs and one of his hand under her shirt.

"I have to go," Kat whispered breathlessly. "I have to meet my friends at Ernie's."

"Ok," Michael nodded; he kissed her once more before letting her go.

"I'll see you later?" she asked as she straightened her clothes.

"Definitely," he smiled at her.

"Ok," Kat smiled at him before walking out the classroom, not seeing the smile on his face turn into a triumphant smirk. As she got a book from her locker, she couldn't help the smirk that came on her face as she thought on what just happened. She had no idea that it would make her feel so excited considering she was cheating on her boyfriend. _'Well it's not like he's not doing the same thing.' _She snorted. _'Since Tommy thinks it's fine to play me like a fool and cheat on me, I'll show him that he's not the only one that can….two can play that game.' _Kat smiled as she walked through the doors and out to the parking lot. She got into her car and started it; as she pulled out of the parking lot, her mind once again went over the kiss she shared with Michael; she was surprised that she liked it so much and while a part of her knew that what she was doing wasn't the right thing to do, she didn't want to stop. All she was thinking about was getting revenge on Tommy for hurting her. She didn't know that what she was about to do would hurt her more than anything.

* * *

**A/N 3: **who didn't love jealous Tommy? Did anyone recognize Michael? Sorry, but I needed someone and that character popped up. Things are finally moving along with T/K; sorry to any and all Carlos fans, but A/A belongs together.

**A/N 4: **Sorry to the Zhane/Karone fans for not putting them together in this chapter, but don't worry, it'll happen.

_Teaser:_

"_Why does it bother you so much to see me dancing with him?" Karone placed her hands on her hips and looked at Zhane. "Answer me!"_

"_Because I'm jealous!" Zhane near shouted. _

"_What?" Karone's arms dropped and her eyes widened in shock._

"_I'm jealous Karone," Zhane said. "I'm jealous because I like you and it's killing me to see you with him….with anyone; I'm jealous because I want to be the one that's with you." _

_To his shock, Karone stepped close to him and captured his lips in a kiss. She smiled at him when she pulled back. "Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?"_

…

"_Kim?" Tommy grabbed her hand._

"_Yes Tommy?" Kim looked up at him._

"_Why did you react like that when Carlos called Ashley what he did?" he asked; he had wanted to know ever since he heard her friend Zack say it was because of a memory._

"_Tommy," Kim looked away._

"_Please tell me," he said as he held her chin to turn her face back to him._

"_Ok." _


	7. Ch 6: Love: half joyful, half painful

**A/N: **this is by far the longest chapter I've written; almost 40 pages! I can't believe it. I hope you guys like it; it focuses mostly on what the friends are doing before the dance and when they are at the dance.

**Bookluver10145679: **yes Michael is from HBC and thanks; I loved writing it.

**Brankel1: **I'm kinda on the fence about that because on one hand, I could see her not questioning him because I would be the same if I saw my boyfriend being so cozy with another girl but then on the other hand, she should've asked him or at least ask someone. I hope this chapter helps you.

**Slytherensangel26: **I would love to know what you thought and if this chapter was close to it.

**Kryptotrite: **I guess you'll like the end of this chapter. *smiles*

**Dimonyo-anghel: **you're like me, on the fence; and yes, she should've known.

**Falcon4crane: **maybe she was just happy that she had the guy every girl wanted…who knows? But she definitely should've tried to figure out why it is that Nick doesn't like her.

**Disclaimer: **Mitch and Mike are mine.

**O.P.D: **Wednesday 7th, April '10.

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

…_.Kat smiled as she walked through the doors and out to the parking lot. She got into her car and started it; as she pulled out of the parking lot, her mind once again went over the kiss she shared with Michael; she was surprised that she liked it so much and while a part of her knew that what she was doing wasn't the right thing to do, she didn't want to stop. All she was thinking about was getting revenge on Tommy for hurting her. She didn't realize that what she was about to do would hurt her more than anything._

_(Now)_

It was now Friday, the day of the dance, and the whole student body was excited. The friends had already gotten their costumes, each side keeping it a secret from the other. Though the guys had no idea what the girls costumes were, they had decided to split into groups to keep their costumes secrets from each other, and the girls did the same. Trini and Aisha had decided to spend the day at Kim's, while Tanya was going to be with Kat; Karone was going to spend the day at Ashley's along with Cassie, while TJ would be with Curtis, Billy and Zack; Andros and Zhane had decided to get ready at Tommy's along with Zack M and Jason while Adam and Rocky would be together. When the students were dismissed from school, the friends headed to Ernie's for a while before they headed to their respective places.

_(At Kim's)_

Kim was laughing when she opened the door to her house, her siblings and friends following. Karone went straight to her room, grabbing her stuff before coming back downstairs.

"You sure about this?" Kim asked when she saw her.

"Yep," Karone nodded.

"And you won't tell me what you're wearing?" Kim asked.

"Nope," Karone smiled. "Because I know you won't tell me about your outfit either and I know you want to be surprised."

"I do," Kim nodded with a smile.

"Look," Karone smiled. "Let's just say, I took a page from our dear brother's book."

"I'm afraid," Kim said which had the others laughing.

"You'll see what I mean later on tonight," Karone hugged her. "See you."

"Bye," Kim smiled as her sister closed the door behind her.

"Now I really want to see what she's going to wear tonight," Aisha laughed.

"So do I," Trini smiled. Before she could say anything else, Andros, Zhane and Zack M came down the stairs.

"All set?" Aisha asked.

"Yep," Zhane nodded. "Our costumes are going to be awesome."

"Do I even want to know Andy?" Kim crossed her arms as she looked at her brother.

"Don't worry so much Kimmie," He smiled as he walked over to her. "You'll like them, I promise."

"If you say so," Kim smiled. "Alright; you guys better get going. And Zack?"

"Yeah Kim?" Zack turned to her.

"Please don't destroy anything," Kim pleaded much to the amusement of the others.

"No promises," Zack smiled as he pulled her into a hug.

"Get out of here," Kim laughed at him as she pushed him away from her.

"Bye sis," Andros placed a kiss on her forehead. "See you tonight."

"Bye guys," Aisha and Trini said as one.

"Bye," Kim said as she closed the door behind her brother.

"What do you think they're going to come as?" Trini asked.

"I don't know," Kim shook her head. "But knowing them, it's probably something weird."

"I can't wait," Aisha smiled.

"Well come on," Kim said as she headed into the kitchen. "Let's grab something to eat before we go to my room."

After making a few sandwiches, the girls made their way up to Kim's room. Putting their costumes in her closet, the three decided to sit out on the balcony for awhile before getting ready.

"So Kim," Trini looked over at her from where she was sitting on the railing. "What's going on between you and Tommy?"

"I'd like to know the answer to that," Aisha smiled at her.

"Nothing," Kim said to them; at the shocked looks, she smiled. "I'm serious."

"No way," Trini shook her head. "I've seen the way the two of you act around each other missy; don't say there's nothing going on."

"Spill Kimberly," Aisha wagged a finger at her. "Before we make you."

"Alright, alright," Kim laughed. "I'll tell you."

"Good." Trini and Aisha replied.

"Ok," Kim said. "The day I found out that Kat was Tommy's girl, I was hurt, you know that; but, the Monday when we got back to school, when we had that free period? Tommy found me in the library and we talked everything out."

"And?" Aisha asked. "Don't leave us in suspense girl!"

Kim laughed. "He apologized for not telling me and we admitted how we felt about each other. However, we realized that what we felt wasn't strong enough to risk anything and we decided that we would focus on building our friendship first and if our feelings became stronger then we would make a decision. Neither one of us wanted Tommy to cheat, so we put our feelings aside."

"Did something happen to change that?" Trini asked, knowing that there was more.

"My friend Zack did," Kim said. "Tommy was jealous when he saw how Zack was with me and we talked and we realized that our feelings were stronger, but I didn't want to be the other woman. We were tired of fighting how we felt, so Tommy made a decision."

"He's going to break up with Kat, isn't he?" Aisha asked; she had known from the start that something would happen between Kim and Tommy, so she wasn't surprised to hear that; what surprised her was that it took them this long to do something about it.

"Yeah," Kim brushed her hair from her face. "He's going to do it tomorrow, so that Kat can use the weekend to deal with it without a lot of people butting in."

"He's really going to do it," Trini shook her head.

"Are you guys angry or upset over any of this?" Kim asked; she was a little worried because she didn't want to lose any friends and she didn't want Tommy to lose any of his friends either.

"No," Trini smiled at her in reassurance. "Kim, from the day we met you, we knew something was going to happen between you and Tommy; the way he acted around you, he's never done that around any other girl before, including Kat. His eyes lit up whenever he talks about you or whenever he sees you. In the two months that you've been here, you're closer to Tommy than any of us is."

"She's right," Aisha said. "We've known Tommy for years now, but it always felt as if he was keeping a part of himself from us; he's not like that with you. He's more relaxed around you than he is around us. We're not angry at you or Tommy for what happened because we know that you can't help who you fall for and neither one of you planned it. Despite how you guys felt about each other, you didn't act on it; you pushed your feelings aside and focused on being friends. It was only when it became too hard did you guys finally come to a decision. We're not upset because we've actually been waiting for it to happen."

"Really?" Kim looked at them with wide eyes.

"Yes really," Trini laughed. "We have nothing against Kat; she's a really good friend of ours, but we always felt as if Kat and Tommy didn't belong together, that they'd be better off as friends."

"So you don't hate me?" Kim asked again, needing to make sure.

"No," Trini laughed as she got up and dropped in the chair next to her, pulling her into a hug.

"We could never," Aisha smiled as she took the seat on the other side of Kim, wrapping her arms around her as well.

"Ok," Kim smiled as she brought her hands up to hold them to her. "I'm happy for that."

"Now that we have all that out of the way," Trini said as she moved to her feet. "Why don't we go get ready?"

"What time is it?" Aisha asked.

"About one-thirty," Kim said as she looked at her watch. "It's a little early."

"With our outfits," Trini said. "Not to mention our hair, we will need the five and a half hours."

"Let's go," Aisha clapped her hands as she moved to her feet as well. The three girls laughed as they made their way back inside. Aisha was used the shower between Kim and Karone's room, while Trini used the boys' own. Kim removed the costumes from her closet and spread then out on her bed. Trini and Aisha spent almost an hour in the shower; they had washed their hair and had shaved their legs, so it was almost three o'clock when they came out.

"You two are worse than Karone," Kim laughed.

"You're hair is longer than ours," Aisha smiled. "So I don't think you're in any position to talk."

"They might be longer," Kim shook her head. "But I don't take that long."

"Sure," Trini smiled. "Where's your blow dryer by the way?"

"In the cupboard in the bathroom," Kim answered as she grabbed her towel from the knob on her door.

"Thanks," Trini smiled as she headed back in the bathroom.

"No problem," Kim said before changing out of her clothes and dumping them in the hamper. She wrapped the towel around her and made her way into the bathroom, passing Trini who was using a comb to untangle her hair. Kim turned the shower on and adjusted the setting; she placed her towel on the rack next to shower stall and stepped in; almost half an hour later, Kim turned the shower off and stepped out.

"There's no way you're done already," Aisha looked at her in surprise.

"And why not?" Kim smiled as she wrapped the towel around her. Her hair was curling naturally around her body and she used her hand to brush some of it from her face.

"But, you're hair…." Aisha trailed off.

"Despite its length," Kim said. "My hair is very easy to handle."

"Unbelievable," Aisha shook her head with a smile.

"I know," Kim laughed. When she stepped into her bedroom, she laughed even harder at the shocked look on Trini's face.

"You know," Trini shook her head after a few minutes of staring. "I'm not even going to comment."

"Ok," Kim giggled. "Hey 'Sha?"

"Yeah?" Aisha poked her head through the door.

"Bring the dryer in here when you're done," Kim told her as she dried her skin with the towel.

"Alright," Aisha nodded before ducking back into the bathroom. When she came back out, both Trini and Kim were already in their underwear. "Here you go Kim."

"Thanks 'Sha," Kim smiled as she took the blow dryer from her and plugged it into the socket next to her bed. She grabbed her towel and got rid of the excess water before turning on the dryer. As she blow dried her hair, she thought on her friends and what type of costumes the others would be wearing; she also thought on Tommy and what he was going to do it tomorrow. Like she had told Tommy, while she was sorry that Kat would be hurt, she couldn't deny her feelings and the fact that both she and Tommy wanted to be together. As she thought on Kat, her brows furrowed as a frown appeared on her face.

"What is it?" Trini asked when she noticed the look.

"It may be nothing," Kim looked at her. "But, has Kat been acting strange to you guys this week?"

"Well now that you mention it," Aisha said as she hooked her bra. "She has been acting a little weird; I mean, she's always running off and she would look like she had just had the kiss of her life when she got back."

"I did notice that," Trini said. "You know I saw her looking at Tommy during a class and the way she was looking at him puzzled me."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"Well," Trini said as she grabbed the brush from the dresser. "The look was a combination of anger and smugness."

"She was smug?" both Kim and Aisha looked at her in confusion.

"Like she knew something he didn't," Trini elaborated. "It was almost like when you know something is happening or going to happen to someone and you want it to happen; does that make sense?"

"Yes it does," Kim nodded.

"What do you think it's about?" Aisha asked as she fixed her hair.

"I don't know," Trini shook her head. "I really don't know."

"Do you think she knows that Tommy is going to break up with her this weekend?" Kim asked.

"No I don't think so," Aisha shook her head. "Besides if she did, I doubt she'd be smug about it."

"You know what?" Kim said. "Why don't we just forget about it and concentrate on getting ready for this party."

"You're right," Trini smiled. The three girls smiled at each other as they continued fixing their hair. By the time they were done with their hair, it was already five o'clock; Aisha had straightened her hair and had pulled it back into a low ponytail and had added on bands on the end, Trini had also straightened hers out and had pulled it into a high ponytail, Kim had done half of hers in big, loose curls and the other half had been braided and held by the crown that she grabbed from her bed.

"There," She smiled at the two. "Now our hairs are done."

"Thank God," Aisha sighed before laughing along with the two.

"Hello?!" a voice shouted from downstairs. Kim pulled out a couple of bathrobes and gave them to Trini and Aisha; when they had them on, the trio made their way downstairs.

"Hi mom," Kim smiled when she got to the kitchen and saw her parents. "Hi dad."

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Hart," Trini and Aisha chorused.

"Hi sweetie," Caroline smiled at them. "Hi girls."

"You girls look amazing," Ken whistled at them.

"Dad," Kim and the other two laughed. "We've only done our hair; we haven't even gotten dressed yet."

"I know," Ken smiled at his daughter. "But I can tell all three of you will look beautiful."

"Thanks Mr. H," Trini and Aisha smiled.

"So mom," Kim looked over at her mother. "What are you guys doing home so early? You're usually not home 'til six."

"Well," Caroline said. "Your dad and I are going out of town this weekend; we're heading up to visit Alex before going over to Bayside to see your Aunt Corinne; and yes, you can have some friends over for the weekend, turn it into a sleepover."

"Cool," Kim smiled. "Thanks mom." It would be the first time a sleepover would happen at her place as the last sleepover was the girls at Trini's and the boys at Tommy's; but this time, everybody would be together.

"We can tell the others at the party tonight," Aisha said.

"Well," Caroline said. "We're going to go and pack."

"What time are you guys leaving?" Kim asked her parents.

"About six forty-five," Ken answered. "How are you girls getting to the school?"

"Same way we get there every day," Kim shrugged. "We walk."

"Oh no," Caroline shook her head. "You're not walking; everyone else is getting a ride and you three have to walk?"

"We don't mind Mrs. H," Trini smiled at the woman. "And besides, it's nice out."

"Yeah," Kim nodded.

"I know," Caroline said. "But I still don't want you walking."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Kim asked.

"Drive," Ken said.

"Drive what?" Kim looked at her parents in confusion.

"Here," Caroline got her keys from her purse and gave them to Kim. "You can drive my car."

"The Fusion?" Kim asked as she grabbed the keys from her mom. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure," Caroline nodded. "I trust you."

"Sweet," Kim squealed before launching herself at her mom. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome honey," Caroline laughed as she hugged her daughter. The girls left Kim's parents in the kitchen and went into the den to watch TV until it was time for them to go. After a while Caroline came back downstairs; hearing laughter, she smiled as she headed into the den.

"Aren't you girls going to go get ready?" she asked when she saw the girls.

"Why, what time is it?" Kim asked.

"It's six fifteen," Caroline answered. "And the dance starts at seven, remember?"

"Oh shoot," Kim said as she turned off the TV and all three girls scrambled to their feet. "Thanks for reminding us."

"You're welcome honey," Caroline shook her head with a smile.

"By the way mom," Kim called back when she got to the stairs. "You look good."

"Thanks sweetie," Caroline said. "Now go get dressed."

With a nod, Kim followed Trini and Aisha to her room. Aisha was the first to finish dressing as her outfit was the easiest to put on.

"You look amazing 'Sha," Trini smiled over at her friend as she pulled the pants to her outfit on.

"Thanks girl," Aisha replied. "Though I do wish this had come in yellow."

"That would kind of defeat the purpose of the person you're wearing," Kim said with a smile as she pulled her skirt on.

"I know," Aisha smiled. "But still."

"Kimberly, we're leaving!" Caroline shouted.

Kim went to her door. "Alright, see you guys when you get back."

"We'll call when we get there," Ken shouted up the stairs.

"Alright dad," Kim yelled back. They heard the door close and they finished getting ready. By the time six forty-five came around, the girls were ready.

"We look good," Trini said as the three girls looked into the mirror.

"We look very good," Aisha smiled.

"Damn," Kim giggled. "We're going to turn heads." The three girls looked at each other before laughing; the ringing of the phone cut into their fun.

"Hello?" Kim answered as she grabbed the one in her room.

"_Hey sis," Andros said. _

"What's up Andy?" Kim asked.

"_Are you guys ready yet?" Andros asked. "It's almost seven."_

"Yes we're ready," Kim told him. "We were just about to leave when you called."

"_Alright," Andros said. "Wait, how are you girls going to get there? I don't want you walking…either one of you."_

"Don't worry," Kim smiled. "We won't be walking."

"_How will you get there?" he asked._

"You'll see when we get there," Kim said.

"_Ok," Andros said. "So I'll see you when you get there."_

"Wait," Kim said. "I was going to tell you this when we met up at the dance, but since I have you now."

"_What is it?" Andros asked._

"Mom and dad just left to go out of town and they said that we could have some friends over for the weekend," Kim told her brother. "Kinda like a sleepover; ask the guys if they want to."

"_Alright I will," Andros said. "And I'll call Ashley and tell Karone."_

"Ok thanks," Kim said. "I'll see you at the dance."

"_Alright sis," Andros said. "See you then."_

"Bye," Kim smiled. She hung up the phone and turned to her friends. "Ok, now, let's go wow the others.

"Alright," Trini and Aisha laughed as the three left the room.

_(At Tommy's)_

When Andros, Zhane and Zack M arrived at Tommy's, his mother, Melissa Oliver sent them down to the basement, which had been turned into Tommy's little den, where said guy was.

"Hey guys," Jason said when he saw them. "I'm guessing you have your costumes with you?"

"You guessed right," Zack smiled. "Nice place Tommy."

"Thanks man," Tommy smiled; ever since Kim had told him on Monday that she had no romantic feelings whatsoever for the blond and that said blond had a girlfriend already, he had been more friendly towards him. He knew that Zack was a really good friend of Kim and he was willing to put whatever animosity he had held for the guy behind him for her sake.

"So what do we do until six?" Andros asked as he dropped into one of the couches.

"Video games," Jason held a few games in his hand and gestured towards the TV and game console.

"Alright," Zhane said as he dropped his suit on the table and headed over to the stack of games that were resting on a shelf near the TV. The boys chose a game and within minutes, loud yelling and cheering were heard from the room, leaving Melissa, who was in the kitchen, to shake her head in amusement. A few hours later, the boys were so into their game they didn't notice Melissa in the room until Zack had turned around to grab a drink from the cooler.

"Oh hey Mrs. Oliver," he said and he drew the attention of the others.

"Hey mom," Tommy got up from his spot and walked over to his mother. "What's up?"

"Well," Melissa smiled at her son. "It's after two and I thought you guys might like something to eat."

"Cool," Zhane said as he paused the game.

"Thanks Mrs. O," Jason said as he walked over.

"No problem boys," Melissa smiled. "Well, I have to go back to the hospital."

"Alright mom," Tommy said.

"Have fun tonight boys," Melissa said as she touched her son's arm before heading back upstairs. Minutes later, they heard the door open and close before hearing her car pull out the driveway.

"Back to the game," Zhane said before hurrying back to his seat.

"I think you and Rocky spend too much time together," Jason shook his head.

"Whatever," Zhane laughed. "You're just mad 'cause I was kicking your ass."

"You wish," Jason said. "Alright, rematch."

"Bring it on sucker," Zhane taunted and the two went at it.

"Should we be worried?" Andros asked.

"No," Tommy shook his head. "Not yet; when they start crying, then we'll be worried." Both Zack and Andros laughed. The three of them sat down on the couch and watched Zhane and Jason try outsmart and kill each other. After about half an hour, Jason decided to speak.

"So Tommy?" He called out, even though his gaze never left the screen. "You have any clue why Kat's been acting weird this week?"

"No man," Tommy sighed. "Not a clue; I wish I knew though. I mean, she keeps blowing off dates and when I call her, she's always busy."

"What do you think is going on?" Andros asked.

"I really don't know," Tommy said. "I mean, I tried talking to her, but I haven't gotten anywhere."

"I don't know what to tell you bro," Jason said. "I mean, for her to keep blowing you off like that, something must be up."

"Have you done anything to make her mad?" Zhane asked.

"Not that I know of," Tommy said. "The way she's been acting this whole week is so different from how she usually acts that it makes me wonder if I ever knew her."

"Well why don't you just talk to her at the party tonight," Zack suggested.

"Already planned to," Tommy said.

"Since that's cleared up," Zhane clapped his hands together. "Back to the games." The five continued playing until Tommy heard his dad come home.

"Tommy?!" his father, James Oliver yelled from the kitchen.

"Down here," Tommy yelled back. Minutes later, James came down the stairs.

"Hi boys," he said.

"Hey Mr. Oliver," the guys answered as one.

"How come you guys are still here?" he asked them as he moved further into the room.

"Dance isn't 'til seven," Jason said.

"Yes but it's five of you and there's only two showers," James said. "And it's already five o'clock."

"It's that late already?" Zack asked as he glanced up at the clock. "Damn; we should probably go get ready."

"Alright," Tommy said. "Jase, why don't you use the shower down here and Zack can go after you? Andros you can use the one next to my room and Zhane can go after; I'll go when one of the showers is empty."

"Or you can use the one in my bedroom," James injected, watching his son with a smile. "That way, you guys won't be late; sounds good?"

"Ok," Tommy nodded. "That could work."

The boys nodded before heading off to the showers. By the time all five of them were done showering it was six o'clock; by the time all of them were dressed in their costumes, it was six thirty.

"Whoa," James said when the boys all came in the kitchen. "Look at you guys." His gaze shifted to Andros and Zhane; he laughed, he couldn't help it. "What the hell are you two supposed to be?"

"Sorry," Zhane grinned. "But we're not telling."

"Alright, alright," James held up his hands as he tried to get his laughter under control. "You guys better get going."

"Wait," Andros said. "Can I use your phone? I want to call my sister and I left my cell at home."

"Sure," James nodded as he pointed to the phone hanging on the wall. "Have at it."

"Thanks," Andros said before walking over to it. He dialed his home number and it rang a few times before his sister picked up.

"_Hello?" Kim answered_.

"Hey sis," Andros said as he relaxed against the wall.

"_What's up Andy?" Kim asked._

"Are you guys ready yet?" Andros asked. "It's almost seven."

"_Yes we're ready," Kim told him. "We were just about to leave when you called."_

"Alright," Andros said. "Wait, how are you girls going to get there? I don't want you walking…either one of you." he knew he was being ridiculous as his sister could take care of herself, but he couldn't help it.

"_Don't worry," Kim smiled. "We won't be walking."_

"How _will _you get there?" he asked.

"_You'll see when we get there," Kim said._

"Ok," Andros said. "So I'll see you when you get there."

"_Wait," Kim said. "I was going to tell you this when we met up at the dance, but since I have you now." _

"What is it?" Andros asked.

"_Mom and dad just left to go out of town and they said that we could have some friends over for the weekend," Kim told her brother. "Kinda like a sleepover; ask the guys if they want to."_

"Alright I will," Andros said. "And I'll call Ashley and tell Karone."

"_Ok thanks," Kim said. "I'll see you at the dance."_

"Alright sis," Andros said. "See you then."

"_Bye," Kim smiled._

"So?" Jason asked.

"She said they're ready and they'll meet us there," Andros answered. "She also told me to ask you guys if you wanted to sleepover."

"What's up?" Zhane asked.

"Mom and dad just left to go out of town," Andros said. "Apparently they'll be gone for the weekend and they said we could invite you guys over and have a sleepover."

"You mean stay over for the whole weekend?" Tommy asked.

"Yep," Andros nodded. "So what do you guys think?"

"I'm in," Jason said. "I just have to call my parents and let them know or I can tell them after the dance."

"Dad?" Tommy turned to his father.

"Sure why not?" James shrugged.

"Alright," Tommy smiled. "I'll come back after the dance and pack a bag."

"In the meantime," James said. "You guys should get going."

"Alright," Zack M said. "Hey Andros, you can use my phone to call Ashley."

"Thanks man," Andros said.

"Let's go guys," Tommy said as he grabbed his keys. "Bye dad."

"Bye Mr. Oliver," the others chorused.

"Bye guys," James said as the door closed the behind them.

_(Rocky's place)_

"Man," Rocky said as he opened the door to his house. "I can't wait for the dance tonight."

"Neither can I," Adam said. "So, what do you think the others will come as?"

"I don't know," Rocky shook his head.

"¿Quién es ése?" A female voice called out. _(Who is that?)_

"Soy yo mamá," Rocky answered. "Ricardo, y yo tengo Adam conmigo." (_It's me mom; Ricardo, and I have Adam with me)_

Maria came from the living room with a smile on her face. "Hola mis niños." (_Hello my boys)_

"Hi mama," Adam smiled as he was pulled into a hug.

"Hi mom," Rocky said when she pulled him into a hug as well.

"¿Cuáles son usted que hace a casa?" Maria asked. _(What are you doing home?)_

"Dance is tonight," Rocky said as he walked into the kitchen. "So the teachers sent us home early."

"Oh," Maria nodded. "Bien; cuál es usted ambos que van cómo?" _(well; what are you both going as?)_

"You'll see when we change into our costumes later," Adam smiled.

"Ahhh," Maria laughed. "Usted está siendo tímido." _(You are being coy)_

"A little," Adam admitted with a smile.

"Dígame por favor," Maria said. _(Tell me please.)_

"Lo siento mamí," Rocky laughed. "Pero, tienes que esperar." _(Sorry mom, but you have to wait)_

"Vale, ¡te he oído!" Maria laughed. _(Alright, I heard you!)_

"We'll be up in my room," Rocky said. "Come on Adam." The two boys walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.

"I really can't wait for the party tonight," Adam said as he fell on his back on the bed.

"I know what you mean," Rocky said as he dropped his book-bag on the floor. "I'm really excited for it."

"I still can't believe what you're going as," Adam said as he leaned up on his elbows.

"Me?" Rocky asked. "What about you? I think you'll be the first one."

"Maybe," Adam laughed.

"I'm serious," Rocky laughed. "All of them has been Americans, none was ever a Vietnamese."

"Whatever," Adam laughed as he threw a pillow at Rocky's head. "So what do we do until seven?"

"I don't know," Rocky said as he turned to his computer. "But I'm going to check my mail."

"Alright," Adam said before he laid back down. About thirty minutes later, their positions switched; Adam was on the computer while Rocky was laying on the bed, remote in his hand and the TV on a soccer game.

"So Adam," Rocky said. "How long do you think before Kim and Tommy get together?"

"Honestly," Adam turned to look at him. "I don't think we'll have to wait much longer."

Rocky was quiet for a couple of seconds before he looked at his best friend. "Are we bad friends for wanting Tommy to be with Kim and not Kat? I mean, Kat is our friend too and we shouldn't want to see her get hurt."

"I know," Adam said. "And I don't think we're bad friends; if we weren't, we wouldn't have talked to Tommy about Kim, instead we would've encouraged him to cheat and that would've hurt Kat a lot; but this way, he won't cheat and even though Kat will be hurt, it won't be as bad as it could be."

"OK," Rocky nodded. "Kim's cool and I like her and I think she'd be great for Tommy; she already is great for him."

"I know," Adam said. "They're so different; I mean, Kim is so outgoing and friendly while Tommy is more like a shy homebody; she brings him out of his shell."

"Like the way she got him to go shopping that first day of school when not even Kat could do that?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah," Adam laughed. "His own brother likes her better than he does Kat; I mean, they've been dating just about three years and Nick still acts closed off to Kat."

"And he opened up to Kim in weeks," Rocky added. "Man that had to hurt Kat something fierce when she found out."

"I bet it did," Adam nodded. "I have nothing against Kat; I like her, but I really don't think she's the one for Tommy."

"Hey," Rocky said. "You noticed she's been acting weird this week? Ever since Kim's friend Zack showed up, Kat's been a little…."

"A little distant," Adam suggested. "Yeah I noticed that; why do you think she's acting that way?"

"I don't know," Rocky shook his head. "But maybe we'll find out."

"Hopefully," Adam corrected. The boys were quiet after that and the only sound coming from the room was from the TV. It was about an hour later when they heard Maria calling.

"Ricardo!" Maria's voice shouted up the stairs. "Ven acá por favor." _(Rocky come here please)_

"Un momento," Rocky shouted back. "Be right back."_(One moment)_

"Sure," Adam said as he turned back to the computer. Five minutes later, Rocky came back into the room.

"I have to go get my sisters," Rocky said. "Wanna come?"

"Sure," Adam shrugged; he closed the computer before getting up. "Why are you going for them anyway? Don't they have school?"

"They have a half day," Rocky answered as the two walked down the stairs. Saying bye to his mother, Rocky walked out the door with Adam. The drive to Angel Grove Elementary was about twenty minutes so they got there a little before one. Rocky's sisters, Vida and Maddie, were already out front sitting on the steps with their friend Xander. He checked to make sure it was clear before he pulled up next to them. "Hey girls, Xander."

"Hi Rocky," Maddie and Vida answered.

"Hi," Xander said.

"How come mom didn't pick us up?" Vida asked as got up and grabbed her book bag.

"I don't know," Rocky shrugged. "But she asked me to, so I came and got you guys."

"Ok," Maddie nodded as she grabbed her own book bag and moved to the car. she opened the door before turning back to Xander. "Is Kat coming to get you?"

"I don't know," Xander shrugged. "I don't think so; she was all hyped up over the dance so I doubt it."

"What about your mom?" Rocky asked.

"She had some errands to run," Xander said. "So she won't be able to come get me until later."

"Hop in," Rocky said. "You can stay at our place and I'll have my mom call yours and let her know where you are when she's ready to get you."

"Ok," Xander said as he grabbed his bag and got in the car.

"Buckle up guys," Rocky said when Xander closed the door behind him.

"Rocky," Vida looked up at her brother. "What kind of costume do you have?"

"I'm not telling," Rocky smiled at his sister in the rearview mirror as he pulled out. "Like mom, you'll have to wait until I'm ready to leave to see what it is."

"Can't you give us a sneak peek?" Maddie asked. "Or a little hint?"

"Nope," Rocky laughed at the pouts on his sisters' faces.

"Xander," Maddie turned to her best friend. "Do you know what Kat's costume is?"

"No," Xander shook his head. "But knowing my sister, it's probably some princess costume."

"Hmm," Adam shared a look with Rocky. The drive back home was filled with the talking of the kids. When the car pulled into the driveway, Maddie, Vida and Xander unbuckled their seatbelts and were out of the car before Rocky had even turned it off.

"Guess they were excited to be home from school," Rocky laughed.

"What kid wouldn't be?" Adam retorted as they entered the house. They passed the kids in the kitchen and headed back to Rocky's room. They spent the next few hours just watching TV or surfing the internet. At five forty-five, the two headed into the shower; by six thirty, they were dressed in their costumes and ready to leave.

"Solamente tú Ricardo," Maria laughed when she saw them. "Y tú Adam; muy guapo." _(Only you Ricardo; and you Adam; very handsome)_

"Gracias mamá," Adam and Rocky replied.

"You look awesome guys," Vida gave the two a thumbs up.

"Totally awesome," Maddie smiled as she filmed them with her camcorder.

"Thanks girls," Rocky smiled at his sisters.

"When you guys get back," Xander said. "Will you tell me what my sister was wearing?" Penelope had called earlier and would have picked her son up, but he and the girls had decided to have an impromptu sleepover.

"Will do," Adam nodded. "See you guys." He and Rocky walked out of the house, closing the door behind them.

_(Ashley's Place)_

Ashley and Cassie had just reached her bedroom when the doorbell rang; the two girls looked at each other before heading back downstairs. Opening the door, they saw Karone standing there.

"Hi guys."

"Hey Karone," Ashley smiled at her while moving back to allow her the space to come in.

"Hi girl," Cassie said as Ashley closed the door behind them. The three girls headed up the stairs to Ashley's room. "So Karone, you have your costume?"

"Yeah are you finally going to tell us what it is?" Ashley turned to her friend as she sat on her bed.

"Yes I have it," Karone smiled. "And yes I will." With that, she opened up her bag and took her costume out; she held it up in the air so that they could see it.

"What is it?" Cassie asked as she fingered the costume.

Karone smiled as she explained exactly what her costume was. When she was done, the two girls were looking at her in slight awe and shock.

"Where did you get the idea for this?" Ashley asked.

"Andros," Karone said. "Both he and Zhane got their idea from the same place so I went through his room and I found the magazine and I got my idea from there."

"Awesome," Cassie nodded.

"Well, it's just after eleven," Ashley said as she glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. "We have about six hours before the dance."

"Let's watch some movies or TV or something," Cassie suggested.

"I'm all for that," Karone nodded.

"Alright," Ashley said. "Movie it is." Ashley went through her DVD collection and found a movie for the three of them to enjoy; the three spent the entire afternoon watching movies and listening to music, before they knew it, it was five thirty.

"Whoa," Karone said after she had glanced at the clock. "Is that the time already?"

"We should go get ready," Cassie said.

"Alright," Ashley said. "Cass you can use the shower then Karone can go and I'll go last; we'll set out our costumes and everything."

"Ok," Cassie nodded before grabbing a towel and headed to the shower. While Cassie used the shower, Karone decided to do her hair. By the time she was done, Cassie was finished with her shower and was in the process of blow drying her hair.

"Bath's free Karone," she said.

"Alright," Karone nodded before grabbing her towel and heading to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, Karone came out the bathroom wrapped in her towel. "Your turn Ash."

"Ok," Ashley said as she placed her under wear on the bed before heading to the shower. Karone and Cassie got ready in silence and by the time Ashley was out of the bathroom all they had left was the outfit. "What time is it?"

"It's six fifteen," Karone answered.

"Well it's a good thing my hair is easy to do," Ashley laughed.

"True," Cassie smiled. "But mine is easier since all I have to do it leave them down and straight."

"But I had to go and choose a hard outfit and hairdo," Karone laughed.

"Yeah but the end result will be worth it," Ashley smiled. The other two laughed and the girls finished getting ready; by the time they were ready to leave, it six thirty-five.

"Let's go wow our boys," Cassie smiled. The trio laughed as they walked out the house, Ashley closing the door behind them.

_(Zack T's Place)_

"Man," Zack said as he, his brother and TJ walked into the house, bouncing on his feet in excitement. "Tonight is going to be so awesome."

"I know what you mean," Curtis laughed as he closed the door behind him.

"I thought Billy was coming over?" TJ asked as he followed the two into the living room.

"He is," Zack said. "But he was going to stop by his mom's place and then come."

"Oh ok," TJ said. "So, do you know what his costume is?"

"Last time I checked," Zack answered. "He couldn't decide between Einstein and Dr. Frankenstein."

"He'll probably choose Einstein," TJ laughed. "They're both geniuses."

"True," Curtis agreed. "So, Teej, you got your costume with you? Or do you have to go home and get it?"

"I have it out in the car," TJ answered. "After we decided earlier this week to split, I brought it with me today; that way, I wouldn't have to drive home and get it."

"Cool," Zack smiled. "You guys wanna play some hoops until we have to get ready?"

"Sure," Curtis said. "You up for it Teej?"

"Definitely," TJ laughed. "Don't you know I'm the new Michael Jordan?"

"Man, you wish," Curtis shoved him playfully as the three walked out the living and through the door out to the driveway where the hoop was pinned to the top of the garage. The three started playing and was fifteen minutes into their game when Billy showed up.

"Hey Billy-man," Zack called when he saw him.

"Hey guys," Billy smiled at them as he walked over.

"Wanna join us?" Curtis asked as he held out the ball to Billy.

"No, that's alright," Billy shook his head. "I'll just watch you guys."

"Suit yourself," TJ shrugged. "Come on guys, let's play." With that, the three continued their game. They spent the next few hours playing, only stopping when they got hungry; by the time six o'clock rolled around, the three boys were sweaty and tired from their game.

"I guess it's time to go and get ready," Billy said.

"But it's only six," Curtis said.

"I know," Billy nodded. "But there's four of us, we all have to shower and there's only one shower; not including your parents' own."

"He's right," Zack said. "Billy why don't you go first, since I know you won't take that long."

"Alright," Billy said as the four walked back to the house.

"I'll go after Billy," TJ said. "I'm going to go and get my costume from the car; be right back."

"I'll go when TJ's done," Curtis said.

"I guess I'm going last," Zack said.

"I guess so," Billy laughed as he turned to the stairs. After the guys figured out the shower rights, they took off. Zack decided to have a snack since he was the last one and Curtis was in his room listening to music. Ten minutes later, Billy came out of the shower and TJ went in; by the time Billy was finished with his costume, Curtis had replaced TJ in the shower. Zack walked into the room just as Billy put the finishing touches on his costume.

"Whoa," he said. "Man, I thought for sure you'd go as the other one."

"That's what everyone thinks," Billy laughed. "But I wanted to prove them wrong and maybe surprise them, besides this is not that far off."

"True," Zack nodded. "They still might be surprised though."

"That's good then," Billy smiled.

"Zack I'm done with the shower," Curtis called out as he walked past Zack's room.

"Alright," Zack called back. "Well I'm gonna go take my shower and then we can leave."

"Sounds good," Billy said. "I'll go wait in the living room."

"Alright Billy-man," Zack said as he walked out the room and headed to the shower. By six forty-five, the four guys were ready to leave.

"Alright," TJ said. "Time to go; I can't wait to see what the others come as."

"Neither can I," Curtis nodded.

"Alright guys," Zack said. "Let's go; see you later mom and dad." His parents had gotten home just ten minutes ago.

"Bye guys," Jill called out from the kitchen.

"I wonder how shocked they'll be," Curtis asked as they got into the car.

"I don't know," Billy said. "We won't know until we get there."

_(Tanya's Place)_

"Hey girls," Nancy said when the door opened and she saw Tanya and Kat step through.

"Hi mom," Tanya smiled when she saw her.

"Hi Mrs. Campbell," Kat said after she closed the door behind her.

"Where's Aisha?" Nancy asked. "Did she already go over to Kim's?"

"Yep," Tanya nodded. "We'll meet up at the dance."

"So does that mean I'll finally get to see you in your costume?" Nancy asked with a smile on her face and her hands on her hips.

"Yes," Tanya laughed. "You'll just have wait until I'm ready to go."

"Alright," Nancy laughed. "Are you girls hungry?"

"No," Kat shook her head. "We got something to at Ernie's."

"As always," Nancy teased. "Well, I'll let you girls go and do whatever it is you're doing."

"Alright," Tanya said. "Come on Kat; we can hang out in my room until it's time to go."

"Ok," Kat said. "See ya Mrs. C."

"Bye girls," Nancy said before going back to the living room.

"I don't know if I've ever asked this," Kat said as she walked up the stairs with Tanya. "But, I thought that Mrs. Campbell was your aunt."

"She is," Tanya nodded. "My mom was her sister; but I've lived with them ever since I moved here when I was a little girl, so I call her mom. I usually go between calling her mom and calling her Aunt Nancy."

"Oh," Kat said.

"Yeah," Tanya smiled. "Besides, I'm not the only one that does it; Zack told me that Curtis does the same thing."

"I'm not sure I knew that," Kat admitted as Tanya opened the door to her room.

"It's ok," Tanya said; she sat down on her bed before turning to her best friend, a serious expression on her face.

"Is something the matter T?" Kat asked her friend.

"Close the door," Tanya said. "I want to talk to you."

"Ok," Kat said as she turned to close the door before moving to sit in the chair in front of the bed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about you," Tanya said.

"What about me?" Kat asked.

"What's been going on with you Kat?" Tanya asked. "You've been acting strange all week; you suddenly didn't have time for our friends anymore, you blew off a date with Tommy, you ignore or don't return phone calls; what's going on Kat?"

"Tanya," Kat started. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Don't do that Kat," Tanya shook her head. "I'm not stupid, so don't sit there and act like I am; I'm your best friend Kat."

"My best friend?" Kat scoffed. "What kind of best friend are you to keep things from me?"

"What are you talking about?" Tanya's brow furrowed.

"You know what I'm talking about," Kat spat.

"No I don't," Tanya said. "So tell me."

"I'm talking about Tommy and how he's cheating on me with Kim and no one, not even my best friend, had the heart to tell me."

"What?" Tanya was shocked.

"What, you didn't think I'd find out?" Kat asked.

"You think that Tommy is cheating on you with Kimberly?" Tanya asked. "Where the hell did you get an idea like that?"

"Just because I'm a blonde doesn't mean I'm stupid," Kat said. "I've seen the looks, the touches, the smiles…I've seen it all! And what hurts the most is that all of you obviously knew about it and none of you even told me; I had to find out from someone else."

"Kat," Tanya stood up. "I don't know who told you that Tommy was cheating on you, but they were wrong."

"Yeah right," Kat scoffed.

"I'm serious," Tanya said. "Do you really believe that if he was I would've kept it from you? You know me, and you know Tommy; he's not a cheater."

"Even if the person was wrong," Kat said. "Which I don't believe they are, I still believe that Tommy is going with Kim behind my back."

"He's not Kat," Tanya said. "Trust me; he's not."

"And how would you know?" Kat asked. "Did you ask him?"

"Yes actually," Tanya said. "I did."

"What?" Kat looked at her best friend; she was starting to get a feeling that she may have been in the wrong. "And what did he say? Did he admit it?"

"He told me the truth," Tanya said.

"Which is?" Kat asked as she folded her arms.

"He's not cheating on you with Kim," Tanya said. "I saw the looks myself and I confronted him about it; he admitted to me that he was attracted to Kim and that she felt the same, but since the feelings weren't strong enough, they wouldn't do anything about it. So, they talked things over and decided to be friends; he told me that he couldn't put you through that pain and he couldn't put Kim through the pain of being the other woman."

"What?" Kat whispered, her hand falling to her side in shock; that feeling that she was getting earlier was now stronger and she was starting to realize that she had made a huge mistake.

"He isn't cheating on you Kat," Tanya said. "Yes, I'll admit that there is a connection between him and Kim, but they're just friends; I even talked to Kim and she basically admitted the same thing. She told me that our friendships meant too much to her and Tommy for them to mess it up based only on attraction and not very strong feelings."

"They haven't betrayed me?" Kat asked.

"No," Tanya shook her head. "They haven't; Kat, were you acting like that this week because you believed that Tommy was cheating?" Seeing her nod, Tanya let out a sigh. "Did you even talk to Tommy about this? Did you even confront him on what you thought was going on?"

"No," Kat shook her head. "I didn't; I just allowed my suspicions to run away with everything."

"And why didn't you ask anyone else?" Tanya asked. "Why didn't you come to me with your suspicions if you couldn't ask anyone else?"

"I don't know," Kat whispered. "But I wish I had." Her thoughts were on Michael and what they've been doing the entire week. _'Tommy isn't the cheater here, it's me; oh God, what am I gonna do?' _

"Kat, you ok?" Tanya asked; she was worried because her friend seemed to have paled suddenly.

"Uhm, yeah," Kat shook her head as if to clear it. "Yeah, I'm ok; I just can't believe I was stupid enough to think Tommy was cheating on me."

"It's ok," Tanya smiled at her. "Any other girl would've come to the same conclusion; hell if it was Adam, I know I would've; good thing you were just moody and didn't do something stupid like cheat back."

"What? Why would you say that?" Kat asked; her heart pounding.

"Well," Tanya said as she moved to sit on her bed once more. "In most cases, when a guy cheats on a girl, most would probably leave him or something, but in all likelihood, she cheats back just to make him hurt as much as she was when he cheated on her."

"Yeah," Kat said, guilt starting to build inside her. "Good thing I was only moody." How could she tell her best friend that she _had _done something stupid; that she had gone and cheated on Tommy because of her doubts and suspicions?

"The thing of it is though," Tanya continued. "Is that, in the end, the girl ends up hurting even worse than before; she's the one that ends up with her heart broken into even more pieces. But it's not only the girls really, but guys too." She looked up and smiled at her best friend. "But, I'm glad that I won't have to see you go through anything like that because you didn't do anything; you just got moody."

"So am I," Kat's smile was slightly forced. Hearing Tanya's words was like having salt on an open wound; it burned. She had just lied to her best friend about something major and the guilt of it was slowly killiing her.

"Alright," Tanya clapped her hands. "Enough of this depressing talk; since we've figured out why you were moody and we've established that your boyfriend is not cheating on you…let's relax until it's time to go and get ready; I thought that we could get started on our hair around three or four."

"Sounds good," Kat said; she forced away thoughts of Tommy and how she was going to get out of the situation that she had started with Michael; a situation that she was truly regretting._ 'Why didn't I just confront Tommy? __**Because you were afraid it would be true. **__Tanya's right though, I could've talked to anyone else; I shouldn't have gone to Michael and I shouldn't have cheated on Tommy. __**Well, it's too late for that now; what's done is done, all that's left is to deal with the consequences.**__' _Kat shook her head to clear her thoughts and she concentrated on her best friend.

True to Tanya's words, they spent the time just relaxing and watching TV; around three thirty, they began their hair. An hour and a half later, they were done.

"What time is it?" Kat asked.

"About five," Tanya said when she glanced at the clock. "We have an hour and forty-five minutes before we leave."

"OK," Kat nodded. "Hmm, I wonder what everyone else will come as."

"I don't know," Tanya smiled. "But I'm looking forward to it; I can't wait to see them. And I know you can't wait to see Tommy."

"Yeah," Kat smiled and pushed away the guilt that she could feel coming up. "I can't; I bet it's going to be amazing. I can only hope and wish really hard that whatever his costume is comes close to mine."

"That's like a one in a million chance," Tanya laughed. "While I wish Adam's costume could match mine, I have no doubt it won't."

"Ok," Kat laughed. The two girls settled down after that to watch more TV. An hour later, they decided to finish getting ready; Tanya went into the shower and when she was done, Kat went next. By six forty, the girls were ready.

"Alright mom," Tanya called from the top of the stairs. "We're ready."

"Ok," Nancy said as she moved to stand at the bottom of the stairs. When she saw the two of them, she smiled. "You girls look amazing."

"Thanks Mrs. Campbell," Kat smiled.

"Thanks Aunt Nancy," Tanya said. She looked down at her outfit before looking back at her aunt. "Kim helped me pick this out."

"Well," Nancy said. "You look good."

"Thanks," both girls replied.

"Have fun at the dance tonight," Nancy said to them. "Good night girls."

"Bye Mrs. Campbell," Kat said as she walked to the door.

"Bye Aunt Nancy," Tanya smiled as she closed the door behind her.

_(At the Dance)_

The AGHS Gym was decorated for Halloween; there were streamers done in black and orange, fake pumpkins all over the room, with monster costumes hung on the walls. The gym was already filled with the students. When Tommy and the others arrived, they stared around the place in awe.

"Wow," Jason said. "They've outdone themselves this year."

"Definitely," Tommy nodded.

"This is really cool," Andros said.

"You can say that again," Zhane and Zack said as one.

"Hey I'm gonna go see if they have punch," Tommy said and walked off. Minutes later, Angela Walker walked up to them.

"Hey guys," Angela smiled when she saw them. "Whoa, you guys look good."

"Thanks Angela," Jason said. "Love your Princess Leia look."

"Thanks," Angela laughed.

"Wow Jason," a voice behind them said. "Somehow it doesn't surprise me that you came as a Knight."

The guys turned around and saw Kat and Tanya standing there.

"Thanks T," Jason smiled. "Or should I say Lady Cleopatra."

"That would work," Tanya laughed.

"Princess Cinderella," Zhane said.

"Hi Zhane," Kat smiled. "Uhm, what exactly are you supposed to be."

"I'm the Silver Space Ranger," Zhane smiled. "And Andros is the red; we got the idea from a comic book."

"Oh," Kat said. "So where's Tommy?"

"He went to get some punch," Zack said.

"Where's your bird Mr. Crow?" Tanya teased Zack.

"Decided not to get it," Zack laughed.

"Which I thought was wrong," Tommy said as he came up to them. "Oh, hey girls."

"Hi Tommy," Tanya smiled.

"T," Tommy looked at her. "Aren't you a long way from Egypt?"

"I could say the same about you Lord Dracula," Tanya said. "Transylvania is across the ocean as well."

"I know," Tommy smiled.

"Cinderella and Dracula can't mix," Jason teased. "She's too pure."

"I would've thought you would've come as Prince Charming or something," Kat said. "Seeing as how you're kinda like that."

"I wanted to go darker," Tommy smiled.

"I don't think anything's darker than being the King of Darkness," a voice behind them spoke.

"Oh man," Jason started laughing. "Adam? You came as Batman?"

"Yeah yeah," Adam smiled sheepishly. "Laugh it up."

Zhane and Andros held onto each other as they laughed.

"Rocky," Zack said. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Ali Baba," Rocky smiled. "And I told Adam he'd be the first non-American to play Batman."

"He most certainly is that," Tommy nodded.

"What are you guys supposed to be anyways?" Rocky asked. "I got Tommy, Jason and Zack, but I don't know about Andros and Zhane."

Andros explained his and Zhane's costumes while Adam looked over at Tanya.

"I hope the Queen of the Nile doesn't mind hanging out with a vigilante," he smiled at her.

"I'm a Queen," Tanya smiled at her boyfriend. "I can do whatever I want."

"Good," Adam said. "So, where are Billy and the others?"

"We're right here," Billy spoke up from behind them.

"No Einstein eh?" Tommy drawled.

"Nope," Billy shook his head. "Dr. Frankenstein is still a genius though."

"That he is," Jason nodded.

"Hey Joker," Zhane said to Curtis. "Batman's looking for you." He pointed to where Adam was and the group laughed once more.

"Say," Curtis said while trying to stop his laughter. "Why don't we put aside our differences just for tonight?"

"Sure," Adam shrugged.

"Cool," Curtis said.

"Tommy I think you should avoid Teej for the night," Rocky said when he saw that TJ was dressed up as Blade.

"Oh man," Tommy laughed. "Is this an opposite night or what? Adam as Batman and Curtis as Joker; now TJ came as Blade and I came as Dracula…a vampire and a vampire killer."

"What are you two supposed to be?" Curtis pointed at Andros and Zhane, and the two explained their costumes once more.

"I wonder what caused you to come back," TJ said to Zack M.

"Who knows," Zack M laughed. "I just felt like coming back."

"Well did you kill anyone?" Ashley asked as she and Cassie walked up to them.

"Nope," Zack M said as he turned to the two new comers. "So Snow White, where's your seven dwarfs?"

"Left them in the shop," Cassie laughed.

"Snow White and Blade," Rocky shook his head. "Who would've thought?"

"Not me," Tommy shook his head.

"I thought Belle fell for the Beast," Adam said. "Not the Silver Space Ranger."

"So did I," Billy nodded. "But I guess things didn't work out with him." the group had a laugh at that.

"How did you get that costume?" Zhane asked Karone; it looked like the same villain that was in the comic book that they got their costumes from.

"Your comic book," Karone smiled at him. "I think it's perfect, don't you?" she didn't give him a chance to answer and turned to Tanya to explain her costume.

"Hey guys," Mitch smiled as he came over to them.

"Oh look," Jason said. "It's Prince Charming; I guess Cinderella found her prince after all."

"Funny," Kat said with a small smile.

"Why hello there," Mitch said when he saw her. "You make a very beautiful Cinderella."

"Thank you," Kat said.

"Hey Karone," Mitch smiled over at her. "You look really good."

"Thanks," Karone smiled. "So do you."

"I know," Mitch rubbed his knuckled on his chest before running a hand over his hair, causing the girls to laugh and the guys to chuckle.

"You really are a Prince Charming aren't you?" Tanya smiled.

"I am," Mitch looked around the group. "So who are we missing?"

"My sister, Trini and Aisha," Karone said.

"Not anymore," Zack M said, his eyes towards the entrance of the gym, where almost everyone else's eyes were as well. The group turned to where he was looking at and they stared in shock and amazement. Walking up to them was Kim, Trini and Aisha dressed as Akasha, an Assassin and Princess Jasmine respectively.

"Whoa," Jason said as his eyes traveled over the girls.

"You can say that again," Rocky nodded, his eyes not leaving Aisha.

"Hey guys," Kim smiled as the girls stood in front of them.

"I think we broke them," Aisha laughed.

"I guess Aladdin doesn't get the Princess after all," Trini said with a smile as she gestured to Rocky dressed as Ali Baba.

"I guess so," Aisha laughed as she moved to her boyfriend. "Hey babe."

"Hey," Rocky said as he looked her up and down. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," Aisha smiled.

"You're an assassin?" Jason teased his girlfriend as he pulled her to him. "You know it's my duty to my country to stop you?"

"I do," Trini smiled at him. "It'll be interesting to say the least to see what you can do."

"So?" Andros looked over his sister. "Queen of the Damned?"

"Yep," Kim smiled up at him. "I love her so I decided to be her."

"I see that," Andros said. "I hope you and the King of Darkness doesn't decide to go on a blood-sucking rampage."

"Can't give a guarantee," Kim teased. "So, who's the King of Darkness?"

"That would be me," Tommy laughed. "I can't believe you came as Akasha."

"And you came as Dracula," Kim smiled. "I guess we both wanted to be dark for the night."

"Guess so," Tommy laughed.

"Alright," Rocky clapped. "We have the King and Queen of the Damned, Prince Charming and Cinderella, Batman and Cleopatra, Joker, The Crow, The Red Space Ranger and Belle, The Silver Space Ranger and Astronema, a Knight and an Assassin, Dr. Frankenstein, Ali Baba and Princess Jasmine and Snow White and Blade; wow, half of you shouldn't even be together."

The group laughed at his words. Kat looked over at Tommy and Kim and couldn't help the resentment at their matching costumes; she had only chose Cinderella because she thought Tommy would go as Prince Charming. Seeing him and Kim together, she couldn't help but to think that they are together. She thought over Tanya's words though and she knew she was jumping to conclusions about the two. She needed to talk to Tommy, but first, she had to straighten things out with Michael.

"Do you want to dance Kat?" Mitch asked her.

"No that's ok," Kat smiled at him.

"Alright," Mitch turned to Karone. "If Astronema wouldn't mind dancing with me…"

"I'd love to," Karone smiled at him. She took his hand and the two headed to the dance floor, leaving Zhane behind watching them in anger and jealousy.

As Andros was leading Ashley to the floor, he turned to Zhane. "You either tell her how you feel or you stand there the entire night and glare at them."

"I will," Zhane said.

"Just do it bro," TJ said as he passed with Cassie. Pretty soon, the others had gone to the dance floor.

When her friends weren't looking, Kat sneaked off. Tommy turned to ask her to dance, but was confused when he didn't see her. "I wonder where Kat got to."

"I don't know," Kim said as she looked around for the blonde.

"So Akasha," Tommy turned to Kim. "Can I interest in you in a dance?"

"Sure," Kim smiled as she held out her hand for him to take. The two smiled as they made their way onto the dance floor. The entire group of friends, along with their classmates, was having the time of their lives; the girls switched partners throughout the dances, laughing and having fun. On the other side of the room, Kat had found who she was looking for.

"We need to talk," she told him.

The guy turned from his friends and looked at her. "What is it?"

"I'm stopping this," Kat said. "It was a mistake to do this in the first place, especially since we were both wrong."

"What are you talking about?" Michael asked her.

"Tommy isn't cheating on me with Kimberly," Kat said. "He never was; and I can't continue cheating on him. So I'm ending this arrangement between us." With that, she walked off.

"Oh it's not that easy Kat," Michael said as he watched her go. "It's not that easy at all; you won't go anywhere until I have what I want; which is Tommy hurt."

Kat walked away from Michael with a sigh of relief; she had ended things with him and she was happy. _'And the best part; Tommy doesn't have to know.' _A smile on her face, she made her way back to her friends.

"Where'd you go off to?" Tanya asked when she saw her.

"Just around," Kat smiled. "I wanted to see the other costumes."

"Ok," Tanya smiled.

"That was fun," Karone said as she and Mitch walked up to them.

"It looked like it," Kat smiled.

"Karone can I talk to you?" Zhane's voice was clipped and he spoke through gritted teeth.

Exchanging a look with Mitch, Karone followed him. "So what's this about Zhane?"

"Why did you dance with him?" he asked.

"Because he asked me to," she answered.

"Did you have to be so close and did it have to be him?" Zhane asked, gesturing towards Mitch with his hands.

"Why does it bother you so much to see me dancing with him?" Karone placed her hands on her hips and looked at Zhane. "Answer me!"

"Because I'm jealous!" Zhane near shouted.

"What?" Karone's arms dropped and her eyes widened in shock, as did Mitch and the others.

"I'm jealous Karone," Zhane said. "I'm jealous because I like you and it's killing me to see you with him….with anyone; I'm jealous because I want to be the one that's with you."

To his shock, Karone stepped close to him and captured his lips in a kiss. She smiled at him when she pulled back. "Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?"

"Really?" Zhane asked as he looked down at her.

"Yes really," Karone smiled at him.

"But," Zhane started. "What about Mitch?"

"Mitch is just a friend," Karone said. "He noticed that you had feelings for me and he decided to help me with getting you to admit them."

"What?" Zhane looked at her in confusion and slight shock.

"There was never anything between us Zhane," Karone admitted. "He knew how I felt about you and he knew that you had a little trouble admitting how you felt about me; so he came up with the idea to make you jealous. I just didn't think it'd take you this long though."

"I guess I'm a little hard-headed," Zhane said. "I'm glad to know there was nothing between you; like I said, it killed me to see you with him all the time."

"It's ok," Karone said. "And besides, he would prefer you to me anyways."

"Huh?" Zhane looked at her.

"He's gay," Karone giggled at the look on his face. "He likes boys not girls."

"Thank God for that," Zhane said before he captured her lips in another kiss.

"Well I'm glad everything worked out," Mitch smiled at them.

"Sorry I was so hard on you," Zhane apologized when he pulled back from the kiss.

"No worries," Mitch waved his words away. "It just proved that you really did like her."

"Well it's about time," Kim said as she and Tommy walked over to them. "You know how long I've noticed how you felt about each other; I told myself if by Christmas and you two weren't together, I would lock you in a closet and not let you out until you admitted your feelings for each other."

"Thank God it didn't come to that," Zhane said. "Not that I wouldn't mind being locked in a room with you."

"Why are you guys standing around?" Rocky said. "We came to a dance and that's what we should be doing; so let's go." He grabbed Aisha's hand and pulled her back to the dance floor. Tanya grabbed Kat's hand and the girls laughed as they followed everyone else. Before Kim could move, Tommy put out a hand to stop her.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"Sure," Kim smiled at him. He placed a hand on the small of her back and led through the crowd to the door. Once outside, the two walked for a bit in silence. Kim stopped next to a bench and she leaned on it. She was smiling as she tipped her head up to look at the sky.

Tommy looked over at her and couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. "I don't think I told you this, but you look beautiful."

"Thanks," Kim blushed. "You look very handsome." They were quiet once more before Tommy decided to ask her what he wanted.

"Kim?" Tommy grabbed her hand.

"Yes Tommy?" Kim looked up at him.

"Why did you react like that when Carlos called Ashley what he did?" he asked; he had wanted to know ever since he heard her friend Zack say it was because of a memory.

"Tommy," Kim looked away.

"Please tell me," he said as he held her chin to turn her face back to him.

"Ok," She sighed. "I'll tell you; it was during our freshman year. I met this guy named Alan Stewart; at first, he and I were friends. I didn't really want a boyfriend, so I told him I could only be friends with him; at the time, it seemed like he had accepted it. But then, he started doing things, just little things; he would bring me roses, leave me Hershey's chocolate, write poems…basically, everything a boyfriend did, he would do it. He seemed like such a gentleman so I decided to go out on a date with him; I had fun, but I still felt weird about it. We went out a few more times but I decided it felt too weird so I told him I thought we should only be friends. At first, I thought he was okay with it, but then things changed."

"What happened?" Tommy asked; a part of him was regretting asking her, but for the most part, he knew he needed to know for him to better understand her.

"He tried to spread rumors about me," Kim continued. "Thankfully, no one really believed them; he called me names, from a bitch to a slut…I was called everything. You remember how Karone told you guys I ended up in the hospital because I fell off the beam?"

"Yeah?"

"It was because of him," Kim said. "He used to follow me a lot, but then my brother got to him and it stopped…or so we thought. One night I was practicing a routine; it was kinda complicated but I knew I could do it because I spent days going over it. I was in the gym and I was in the middle of doing a handspring; when my hands landed on the beam for me to flip myself over, he came up and threw a basketball at it. I lost my balance and I hit my head on the beam before hitting the floor. I was supposed to meet Kelly, Zack's girlfriend, and when I didn't show, she came to look for me and saw me passed out on the floor. She got help and I ended up in the hospital for about a week. The doctors told my family I was lucky; he said that if Kelly hadn't found me when she did, I would've slipped into a coma and then I more than likely would've died."

"Oh my," Tommy squeezed her hand softly. "So that's why Andros is so overprotective of you?"

"Yeah," Kim nodded. "He was really freaked out; all my friends were, but for him…"

"I know," Tommy said. "Karone explained to us that being twins made your accident harder on him."

"After that," Kim said. "He was with me all the time…not that I minded and I was told that he, Zhane, Zack and Slater had beat up Alan; good thing is, they didn't get in trouble as it was his fault for what happened to me, so the cops gave them a warning only."

"I would've done the same," Tommy told her. "So that's why both you and Andros reacted that way; you had been through it."

"Yeah," Kim sighed. "I hate guys like that, you know? Anyways, after that, I became a little wary about a guy because I wasn't sure if I could trust them or not, hence the reason why I haven't been on a date or had a boyfriend since."

"Well," Tommy said. "That's understandable Kim."

"I've never met another guy that made me feel safe or that I could trust," Kim smiled up at him. "Until I met you; from the moment we met, I knew you were different; you made me feel different."

"I'm glad for that," Tommy said. "And it's the same for me too; you make me feel different as well. The way I feel about you, I've never felt this way about anyone else…not even Kat."

"I'm falling for you Tommy," Kim whispered. "Faster than I thought I would."

"I'm falling for you too Kim," Tommy replied. "And it scares me because like you, I wasn't expecting it to happen this quickly; which is why I'm going to go find Kat and have that talk with her."

"Ok," Kim nodded; she knew that Kat would be hurt, but as she had told him earlier in the week, as cruel as it sounded, she wanted to be with him more than she was worried about Kat being hurt. "Let's go."

The two turned and headed back into the gym. Upon entering, they spotted their friends and headed in their direction. When they neared their friends, Tommy saw that Kat wasn't there.

"Hey guys," Kim said.

"Hey," Aisha said. "Where have you been?"

"Outside for a bit," Kim said.

"Hey Tanya," Tommy turned to her. "Have you seen Kat?"

"Uh, yeah," Tanya looked around. "She headed inside the school; I think she said she was going to find a water fountain, but that was like ten minutes ago."

"Alright," Tommy said. "I'll go find her." He nodded to his friends before setting off to find the blonde.

_(Earlier)_

Kat was dancing near Tanya and Zack T and she was having the time of her life; she felt beyond relax and she knew that it was because she had talked with Tanya and had broken things off with Michael. As she was dancing, she felt someone hold her waist from behind and felt a body press close; thinking it was Tommy, she closed her eyes and smiled.

"Hi baby," she said.

"I'm your baby now?" the person asked.

Surprised, Kat whirled around. "Michael! What are you doing? I told you, it's off; I don't want to do this anymore."

"Don't you?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear before sucking gently on it. "Are you sure?"

"Michael," Kat couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her lips.

"You know you don't really want to give this up," Michael said before kissing her neck.

"P-p-please stop," she stuttered, though she made no move to push him.

"Come with me," he pulled back from her neck and looked at her. Grabbing her hand, he led her through the crowd. They went down the hallway until they came upon the first empty classroom; without looking, he opened the door and pulled her in. he led her to a desk and sat her on it, before stepping between her legs.

"Michael," was all she got out before he covered her lips with his. After a few minutes, she pulled back from the kiss to look at him. "We shouldn't be doing this; I know the truth now. This is the last time."

"No it's not," Michael said before capturing her lips once more; as he kissed her, he felt like he was truly a pirate and not just wearing a costume; the way he plundered and stole Tommy's treasure from him made him smile against Kat's lips. The two were so deep in their making out that they never heard the door open.

_(General)_

Tommy moved through the crowds as his mind wandered to his girlfriend and the talk that they were about to have; he knew that she would be hurt but he also knew that it needed to be done. He really wanted to be with Kim and if he didn't break things off with Kat now, then he would only end up hurting her even more and hurting Kim in the process as well. He saw a fellow classmate and stopped him.

"Hey man," he said. "Have you seen Kat? She's dressed as Cinderella."

"Yeah I saw her going down that hallway," the guy said.

"Alright," Tommy said. "Thanks." Nodding to the guy, he continued down the hallway. He was about to pass a classroom when a noise caught his attention. Stopping, he opened the door and looked in; what he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief, his hands ball into fists and his heart clench with pain; sitting on a desk was Kat, but she wasn't alone. She was kissing Michael who was standing between her legs and had his hand on her thigh.

* * *

**A/N 2: **alright, Zhane and Karone are together (finally!) and Tommy knows why Kim reacted the way she did. I know Tommy didn't get a chance to break up with Kat, but when I wrote this chapter, that's how it came out. Read and review so I can know what you think.

**A/N 3: **Rocky's mom speaks English perfectly but when she's around her family, she speaks in Spanish; Adam, Tanya, Aisha, Kim (will be explained later on) and Xander all understand and speak Spanish.

* * *

_Teaser:_

"W_hat's going on?" Tanya asked._

"_Do you want to tell her Kat?" Tommy said. "Or should I?"_

…

"_Ok," Aisha smiled at her friend. "That's it; why do you keep calling him Little Phoenix?"_

"_Should I?" Kim laughed as she looked at Nick._

"_Yeah," Nick smiled. _


	8. Ch 7: Part One

**A/N: **ok, so I got so into writing this that I didn't realize I had written such a long chapter (almost 20,000 words!); because of that, I decided to split it into two parts…this is the first half. Hope you guys like it.

**Slytherensangel26: **I loved the idea you had (can't believe I didn't think of using Michael that way *smacks forehead*), and it did give me ideas, especially the pairing you wanted.

**Kryptotrite: **you're right; no matter what it will still hurt. With Mitch, it was a lot of fun having him and Karone tease Zhane; but it got Zhane to finally admit how he feels. Nothing like a good competition…

**Falcon4Crane: **you will love this chapter I think...especially the part with Tommy/Kim...enjoy it was written in part for you.

**Warnings: **none really; just some fluff here and there.

**O.P.D.: **Saturday 8th, May '10.

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

…_Nodding to the guy, he continued down the hallway. He was about to pass a classroom when a noise caught his attention. Stopping, he opened the door and looked in; what he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief, his hands ball into fists and his heart clench with pain; sitting on a desk was Kat, she was kissing Michael who was standing between her legs and had his hand on her thigh…_

* * *

Tommy couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing; Kat was making out with another guy. Too hurt to say anything, he backed out of the classroom. He walked quickly back down the hallway and stopped near the stairs. His breathing slightly fast, he dropped to the steps and held his head in his hands. _'What the hell is going on? How long has Kat been cheating on me?' _Tommy sat there for a few more minutes to get his breathing under control and wrap his mind around the fact that he had just caught Kat with Michael. He closed his eyes and his mind went over everything; _'Is that the reason she's been acting weird this past week? She was meeting Michael behind my back.' _Sadness flowed through him as the image of Kat kept flashing through his mind. _'How could she do this to me? If she wanted to be with him, she should've just told me…not cheat on me.' _Releasing a heavy sigh, Tommy got up from the steps and headed back to the gym. When he got there, he saw his friends having fun and suddenly, he was in no mood to join them or to spoil it. But he knew that if he didn't go over there, then they would look for him. Wiping all traces of sadness from his face, he forced a small smile on his face and walked over to them.

"Hey guys," He said.

"Where've you been man?" Jason asked.

"Walking," Tommy replied.

"So," Tanya said. "Did you find Kat?" Kim turned to look at him at that question.

"No I didn't," Tommy said. He was going to say something else but was interrupted by said girl.

"Didn't what?" Kat asked as she came up to them.

"Tommy went to look for you," Tanya answered her.

"He did?" Kat looked over at Tommy, a panicked feeling going through her.

"Yeah he did," Tanya continued. "But he couldn't find you."

"We must have just missed each other," Kat murmured as her mind went on a whirlwind; she was panicked because she wondered if Tommy had come upon her and Michael. _'There's no way he could have…right? I mean, I would've known. __**And how would that happen when you had your tongue down Michael's throat? The two of you were so into what you were doing, I doubt you would've noticed if a hurricane blew right past you.**__But Tommy would've said something if he had saw us. __**Are you sure?**__' _

"Must have," Tommy said before he looked over at Kat; he couldn't believe she could stand there with them and pretend like nothing happened, like she hadn't been making out with Michael. _'She's been lying to not only me, but everyone else as well.' _He tore his gaze from her as he felt himself getting angry; he knew if he kept looking at her, his anger would grew and he wouldn't be able to stop himself from lashing out at her.

Kim looked over at Tommy; from the moment he joined back up with them, she had felt the tension and unease in his form and at first, she was worried that the talk with Kat hadn't gone well. But then Kat had joined them and Tommy's tension became even more pronounced to her and judging by the lack of anger and hostility on Kat's face towards her, she knew that the two hadn't got a chance to talk. _'So then, what happened? Why is Tommy so tense?' _She was broken from her thoughts by TJ's voice.

"Well," TJ said. "The dance is almost over."

"Oh," Kim said. "I was supposed to ask you guys if you wanted to spend the weekend at our house; our parents are out of town and mom told me that we could have friends over if we wanted to…like a sleepover; so what do you guys think?"

"Sure," Trini smiled. "I'm up for it."

"Same here," Tanya and Aisha answered.

"Ash, Cassie," Kim turned to them. "What about you two?"

"Sure," they answered. "We have nothing else to do," Ashley continued. "So we might as well spend it with you guys."

"Alright," Kim nodded. "Since the dance is almost over anyways, why don't we leave now?"

"Sounds like a plan," Curtis said. "Let me just go say goodbye to Jessica." With that, he walked off to find his girlfriend.

"We'll wait for Curtis to come back," Billy said. "And then we can go."

"Ok," Kim nodded. She stood next to Tommy and touched his arm. When he looked down at her, she raised an eyebrow; _what's wrong?_

He shook his head; _Not now._

She nodded and let her hand fall to lace their fingers together which he squeezed the moment she did.

"Tommy," Kat turned to her boyfriend. "Can I have a dance before we leave?"

For a split second he thought about saying no and telling her to go find Michael, but he didn't. With a stiff nod, he unlaced his hand from Kim's and took Kat's hand in his. He led her out to the floor and she turned into him.

"This is nice," she smiled at him.

"Yeah," Tommy said as he tried to suppress the need to yell at her. He truly couldn't believe that she was acting like everything was fine…like she did nothing wrong. Before he could voice any of his thoughts, the song ended and Tommy couldn't be happier; he needed to get away from her. "Let's go."

The two headed back to their friends and got their about the same time that Curtis did.

"Ok I'm ready," Curtis said.

"Alright," Kim said. "Let's go." The group of friends made their way out of the gym and headed to their cars in the lot.

"Ok," Jason said as he stopped next to Tommy's jeep. "I think most of us have to stop by our place for clothes so why don't we do that and then head over to Kim and Andros' place?"

"Sounds good," Kim nodded. "Sha, Tri, do you want me to take you guys home?"

"No," Trini shook her head. "I live close to Jase so I can ride with him and Tommy."

"And I live closer to Rocky's," Aisha smiled over at her friend. "So I can ride with him."

"Ok," Kim said. "So, I guess I'll be taking Andy, Zack, Zhane and Karone home with me then."

"Yep," Andros nodded.

"Alright," Zack T said. "Since we have that figured out, why don't we get this show on the road?"

The group agreed and they left. Fifteen to twenty minutes later, Kim pulled into their driveway. The siblings and friend, entered the house, Zhane closed the door behind him as he was the last one in.

"Tonight was awesome," Zhane smiled.

"You'd say that," Zack laughed. "You got your girl after all."

"Took him long enough," Karone teased her boyfriend; she was beyond happy that she could finally call him that.

"So I was a little stubborn," Zhane laughed.

"A little?" Kim raised an eyebrow. "You were being pigheaded."

"That he was," Andros laughed.

"Alright, alright," Zhane held up his hands. "I get it."

"Let's go get ready for the others to come," Kim said as she turned to head to her room.

"Zack," Karone turned to her friend. "When are your parents coming for you?"

"Tomorrow morning," Zack told her. "Around eight."

"That early?" Karone looked at him.

"Yeah," Zack smiled. "They really want to get to wherever it is they're going."

"That sucks," Andros said. "Having to wake up so early."

"I know," Zack nodded.

"Meet up in the den?" Kim asked as she stood outside her room.

"Sure," the others nodded before to their rooms, Zack following Andros to his.

Within minutes later, Kim was finished changing and made her way down to the den. She fixed the couches and set up the DVD player before heading to the kitchen. She was looking for the popcorn when the others came down.

"Hey," Andros said. "What are you looking for?"

"Popcorn," Kim answered.

"Cupboard above the sink," Karone answered.

"Thanks," Kim said when she found them.

"When do you think the others are going to get here?" Zhane asked. No sooner had the question left his lips when a knock came at the door.

"I'll get it," Zack said as he turned to walk out the kitchen. He went to the door and opened it; standing there was Aisha, Rocky and Adam. "Hey guys, come on in."

"Hey Zack," Aisha smiled. "Where are the others at?"

"Kitchen," Zack answered. "You guys are the first ones here."

"Cool," Rocky said as he passed Zack.

"I'd have thought Jason and the others would've been here first," Adam said as he closed the door behind him.

"Did you forget he's going to come with Tommy?" Rocky laughed.

"Oh yeah," Adam laughed.

"Hey guys," Kim looked up when they came into the kitchen.

"Hey girl," Aisha smiled at her.

"Where's Tanya?" Kim asked. "I thought she would've come with you?"

"She decided to get a ride with Kat," Adam answered. "And Tri decided to come with Jason."

"And Cassie's with Ashley right?" Karone smiled.

"Yep," Adam nodded.

"Ok," Kim smiled. "Hope they get here soon." Just as she said that, the doorbell rang.

"I'll go get it," Rocky said. He jogged to the door and opened it to find Zack, Curtis, TJ and Billy. "Come on in guys."

"Man," Zack shook his head. "I can't believe you got here before us."

"Believe it," Rocky smirked. He was going to close the door when he heard Ashley.

"Don't close it yet," she laughed as she and Cassie ran up to them.

"Hi guys," Cassie smiled as she and Ashley walked into the house.

"Hey babe," TJ came out of the kitchen because he had heard her voice. He walked over to her and kissed her.

"PDA to a minimum please," Curtis teased while the others laughed.

"I agree," Rocky joked as he closed the door. The gang headed to the kitchen where the others were. Ashley, seeing Andros, made her way over to him.

"Hey," She smiled when she stood next to him.

"Hey back," he smiled at her before giving her a quick kiss.

"I saw that," Kim said as she looked over at them.

"Sorry Kim," Ashley laughed.

"Don't be sorry," Andros shook his head. "Kim's just jealous."

"Shut up Andy," Kim laughed. "And why would I be jealous of you?"

"'Cause I'm better?" he teased.

"You wish," Kim smiled.

"So where are we going?" TJ asked.

"Den," Kim, Andros and Karone answered.

"Cool," he nodded before making his way to it.

"You guys can go ahead," Kim said.

"Hey Kim," Karone turned to her sister. "Did you invite Mitchell?"

"Oh man," Zhane groaned teasingly. "Please say you didn't."

"Why wouldn't I Zhane?" Kim laughed. "He's a lot of fun and I like him."

"You would," he muttered and ducked the swipe that Karone sent at his head; the doorbell rang again. "I'll go get it this time, if only to get away from my abusive girlfriend."

"I'll show you abusive Zhane Daniel Matthews," Karone teased.

"Yikes!" Zhane said. "Full name; got to go." And he hurried out of the kitchen, the others laughing at him. He opened the door and saw Tommy, Jason, Trini and Mitchell standing there. "Hey guys; come on in."

"Are we the last ones?" Trini asked as she stepped pass him.

"Nah," Zhane shook his head. "Tanya and Kat are still to come." He missed the flinch Tommy gave when he said Kat's name.

"Cool," Mitchell said as he walked in. "Nice digs man."

"Thanks," Zhane said as he closed the door behind him. "Most everyone is in the kitchen, the rest is in the den."

"Alright," Jason nodded and they made their way to the den and kitchen.

"Hey," Trini said when she saw Kim.

"Hey guys," Kim smiled at them. She hugged Trini followed by Jason and laughed when Mitchell squeezed her before kissing her on the lips. When he let her go, she placed her hands on her hips. "Why I am the only one you kiss on the lips?"

"Because your lips taste the best," Mitchell smiled. "And besides, you know you're my favorite girl."

"I thought I was your favorite girl?" Karone asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"No," Mitch shook his head, his arm still around Kim's waist. "You're my first girl, but Kim here is my best girl."

"So Kim's your Grace?" Trini laughed.

"Karone does sound like Karen," Aisha added with a smile.

"What are you girls talking about?" Andros looked between them. "Mitch, explain to me why you kissed my sister."

"We're talking about Will and Grace," Trini answered.

"What do Will and Grace have to do with Mitch and Kim?" Tommy asked.

"Well," Mitch said. "I'm more like Will, which is why Trini said that Kim's my Grace."

Tommy and Andros' face held confused looks until it dawned on them.

"You're gay?" Andros said. When Mitchell nodded, he continued. "Huh; well that explains everything."

"How nice of you to catch up Andy," Kim smiled. "Now, why don't we head to the den?"

"What about Kat and Tanya?" Ashley asked.

"I'll stay for them," Kim said. The truth was that she wanted Tommy alone because she had sensed that something wrong with him ever since the dance when he came back from going to look for Kat. When it was just the two of them, she turned to him. "What's going on Tommy?"

"What do you mean?" he avoided her eyes and tried to feign ignorance; he knew that she, out of all his friends, would know immediately something was wrong him. Not even Jason, his best bro, could tell something was bothering him on their drive to their homes and to Kim's place.

"Tommy," Kim turned fully to look at him. "I may not have known you as long as the others, but I'd like to think I know you just as well, or according to Trini and Aisha, better. So I know that something is up with you and I know that it's eating away at you and that it has to do with Kat. Am I right?"

Tommy stared at her; it was true, she really did know him better than the others and he wondered why he was stupid enough to ever think that she wouldn't be able to see past his mask. Giving, it was inevitable after all, he nodded. "Something did happen and it does have to do with Kat."

"What happened Tommy?" Kim asked; she was now more than a little worried. His tone was slightly despondent and it held a hint of anger as well. Before he could answer however, the doorbell rang for the final time and they both knew who it was. "I'm going to answer that, and then, you and I are going to find time alone to talk."

Knowing that nothing would deter her, he nodded. "Ok."

"Good," Kim smiled before walking out the kitchen. As she headed to the door, her mind tried to come up with different reasons as to what Tommy was talking about and the possibilities of what could have happened for him to be like that. Getting rid of her thoughts, she shook her head and opened the door. "Hi guys."

"Hi Kim," Kat and Tanya replied.

"Come on in," Kim smiled as she stepped back and allowed them to pass her; closing the door behind them, she turned around.

"Thanks," Tanya smiled at her. "Where is everyone 'Kasha?"

"They're in the den Cleo," Kim laughed. "You know, I didn't think it'd be you to give me that nickname…in all honesty, I thought it'd be Rocky."

"Don't count him out just yet," Tanya warned with a laugh. "He might still give you one."

"Great," Kim laughed as the three of them walked towards the den. They passed the kitchen and seeing Tommy in there, Kat went to him.

"Hi," she smiled as she reached out to loop her arms around his neck.

"We just saw each other like a half hour ago," Tommy answered, though his eyes caught' Kim's.

"I know," Kat smiled. "But I missed you." She moved to place a kiss on his lips but he turned at the last second and she got his cheek instead.

"Sorry," Tommy said. "You know I don't really like PDA." It was the only excuse he could up with; he seriously couldn't tell her he couldn't stand to have her lips on his after she kissed Michael.

"Forgot about that," she said with a smile. "Shall we join the others?" without giving him a chance to answer, she looped their arms together and walked off towards the den. As they passed Kim and Tanya, Tommy gave Kim an apologetic look.

"I hope Rocky, Zhane and Zack Morris haven't destroyed my den," Kim smiled as she followed them.

"Keep hoping girl," Tanya said as she placed her arm around Kim's shoulder. The two laughed as they entered the den.

"What's so funny?" Andros asked when he saw them.

"Nothing," Kim shook her head with a smile.

"Ok," Andros cast a skeptical look at his sister. "If you say so."

"I do," Kim smiled as Tanya moved from her and went over to Adam.

"Hey babe," she leaned over to give him a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey," Adam smiled up at her. "It's about time you got here."

"So," Kat said as she moved to one of the seats. "What are we going to do first?"

"Video games!" Zhane shouted.

"Didn't you play enough at Tommy's?" Zack M asked.

"So?" Jason said as he went over to Zhane. "I want to play because I want a rematch against this kid."

"Who are you calling a kid?" Zhane asked. "And besides, I'm the kid that beat you."

"Yeah well," Jason smiled. "Let's play and see you try to prove it."

"You're on," Zhane said. The two shook hands and moved to the shelf to choose the game that would play.

"I play winner," Rocky said as he joined them.

"And what are we girls supposed to do?" Cassie asked with a smile.

"Well," Karone said. "There is a TV down in the basement; we can go down there."

"I'm up for that," Ashley smiled. "I may not be a girly-girl, but that doesn't mean I want to stay here and watch these guys play video games."

"Same here," Cassie nodded.

"I think I'll join you girls," Mitch smiled.

"And I will check out the pool," Trini smiled. "Maybe have a moonlight swim."

"Count me in for that," Aisha said and Tanya echoed her.

"Well," Billy said. "As for me, I'll be in the backyard with these." He opened his bag and held up two remote controlled helicopters.

"Those will go perfect with this," Zack T said as he held up his remote controlled Jet plane.

"Isn't too dark for that?" TJ asked.

"It would be," Billy nodded. "Except mine, they are equipped with lights."

"Ahhh," TJ nodded.

"And besides," Andros added. "We have lights around the pool and the backyard."

"Well, I'm with Billy and Zack," Adam said.

"TJ and I will stay here with Rocky and the others," Curtis said. "I want a turn at those video games."

"Well that was quick," Kim shook her head. "It's like you guys were just waiting for the invite."

"Definitely," Kat laughed; she felt good hanging out with her friends, especially since she knew that Tommy wasn't with Kim and she had broken things off with Michael. Speaking of Michael, her mind drifted to earlier.

_Flashback_

"_Michael wait," Kat pulled away from the kiss. _

"_What is it?" Michael asked as he kissed her neck._

"_No, Michael, stop," Kat said as she pushed him away, giving her enough room to fix her dress._

"_What's going on Kat?" he asked as he looked at her._

"_Michael," Kat looked at him. "I told you, we can't do this anymore; it's over. I love Tommy, and now that I know he's not cheating on me, I can't do this. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I'm not changing my mind."_

"_Kat," Michael said. "This can't be over; I mean, do you really think you'd be able to forget about me and go with Tommy pretending to be happy?"_

"_You make it sound as if I have feelings for you," Kat said; she was trying to be mean, but she needed him to understand. "This was just revenge Michael, nothing more."_

"_Do you really think that?" he asked her. "Do you really believe that there's nothing between us? Kat, the moment we kissed, sparks flew. This entire week, the time we spent together was intense; more intense than a simple revenge. Think about this Kat; why me? Out of all the guys you could've choose, why did you go with me? Just admit it; you had feelings for me from before. That's the only reason things were so hot and heavy between us. If it was any other guy, you wouldn't have followed them to a classroom and then make out with them knowing your boyfriend was close by. But you did with me."_

"_You're wrong," Kat whispered as she looked at him. "It was revenge. And I don't have feelings for you. Now please, excuse me." She hopped down off the desk and walked to the door; when her hand was on the doorknob, Michael spoke._

"_You know I'm right Kat," he said. "And you know you'll be back."_

_She said nothing as she opened the door and left, thus missing his final comment. _

"_You'll definitely be back," Michael said as he stared at the door. "I will not let you go that easily—_

"Kat!" Tanya's voice cut into her thoughts.

"What?" Kat blinked a few times.

"Where were you?" Tanya said. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes."

"Yeah, sorry," Kat smiled. "I was nowhere in particular." She missed the look Tommy threw her.

"Didn't seem like it to me," Tanya said. "Anyways, are you coming out to the pool with me, Trini and Aisha?"

"Sure," Kat said.

"Ok," Tanya said. "Kim said we could either use her room to change or the pool house in the back; we decided to use the pool house though."

"Where is Kim anyways?" Kat asked as she looked around for the brunette.

"She went up to her room," Tanya answered. "She said she'd be right back."

"Ok," Kat said; she turned to her boyfriend. "Are you staying with the guys or are you coming to the pool with us?"

"I'm not sure yet," Tommy answered.

"Alright," Kat turned back to her friend. "Let's go T." The four girls grabbed their bags before heading out back.

Tommy watched them go, before turning in the direction of the living room; as he passed the stairs, Kim was coming down.

"Hey," Kim called out to him. "Where are you going?"

"Outside," Tommy answered; he needed to get away and be alone for a little bit. Kat's betrayal was too fresh in his mind and he needed to deal with it before he exploded. He didn't wait to hear if Kim said anything as he walked over to the front door and opened it. He walked to the end of the porch and leaned against the railing, his mind going a mile a minute as he thought on Kat.

Kim watched Tommy go out the door with worried eyes; she hoped that whatever was happening or did happen wasn't anything too serious. She took a glance and saw that everyone had left to wherever they were going before she followed him outside. Closing the door behind her, she saw where he was and moved to him. His back was to her, so she took a seat on the swing-chair. She left him alone for a few minutes before deciding to bite the bullet.

"Talk to me Tommy," she said softly. "Please."

He was quiet for a few seconds before taking a deep breath; after releasing it, he spoke. "I'm not the kind of guy that's real good with putting myself out there; I'm a loner. I kept to myself a lot and focused more on my Martial Arts than on girls."

Kim was quiet as she listened to him; she needed to know what happened, and she knew this was his way of getting to that point.

"When my family moved to Angel grove, things changed," he continued. "I made friends; I became part of a group and I was happy, but I was still a loner that had trouble talking to girls. When Kat moved to town back in freshman year, I didn't really pay any attention to her. She liked me from the start, but I had no idea she did; and to tell you the truth, I didn't really like her like that…I couldn't bring myself to. But she was persistent and I finally gave in to her. We went out on our first date and it was a little awkward, but you know what? I ended up having fun."

Kim stayed quiet; the only thing she did was to reach out with her hand to grab hold of his to let him know she was still there…listening; his squeezing of her hand in reply, let her know that he understood.

"But even then," Tommy sighed. "Even then, I still couldn't like her the way she wanted me too; we kept dating and I started liking her as a real friend and before I knew it, I believed I was starting to fall for her."

"But something changed," Kim said and she had a pretty good idea of what, or rather who, it was.

"Something did change," Tommy agreed. "See, I was content to be with Kat; even though I knew I could never love her the way she would've wanted me to, I did have feelings for her and I would've stayed with her…I would've settled for her. I thought that this school year would be just like the rest; Kat and I going out on dates, her being so happy and in love with me and me being content enough to being with her; it just so happened that on a day I was supposed to meet my friends, I took a shortcut, a shortcut I never really took before but decided to take that day and I saw you."

"Tommy," Kim whispered his name as if she was afraid that talking to loud would disrupt the atmosphere that Tommy had created with his words and his presence.

"One glimpse of you and everything changed," Tommy finally turned around and locked eyes with Kim, shifting her hand to his other. "As corny and sappy as it sounds, in that glimpse, I felt as if something had woken up in me; and then I met you and I got to know you better and I felt as if I was different. I meant what I said Kimberly; the way I feel about you, I've never felt that way about anyone else. When I'm with you or around you, it makes me want to be different; you make me want to be someone you would be proud to date, someone you could trust and fall in love with."

"You _are_ all that Tommy," Kim smiled up at him. "You're the first guy, other than my brother, that I trust with my whole heart. Don't get me wrong, I trust Zhane, Zack and Slater, more than anyone else, but you and Andros I trust _above_ anyone else. Andy is my twin, and I trust him more than I would trust my own parents…he's the other side of my coin. But you Tommy, you are the other half to my heart, my soul, my every being; if Andy wasn't my twin, you would be trusted above him, but as it is, you're both equal."

"I'm glad to hear that Kim," Tommy smiled for a quick second before losing it. "You know me better than anyone, including my friends; you know I'm not the type of guy that would do anything if I felt that it would truly hurt someone who was close to me. And I'm not the type of guy that cheats either, which is why I was relieved when you suggested we become friends first. I wanted to be sure I felt more than an attraction for you."

"I know that Tommy," Kim said. "I know you're not that kind of guy; it's one of the reasons why it was so easy to fall for you…because I knew you would never hurt me or someone like that." She felt as if he was building up to something with his words and to be honest, she was a little afraid to find out what it was.

"Well I wish everyone was that considerate," Tommy said bitterly.

"Tell me," Kim urged him.

"I told you that tonight I would take Kat aside and explain everything to her," Tommy said. "I was going to tell her that I was falling in love with you and I wanted to end the relationship before I cheated and that I thought it wouldn't be fair to be together, knowing I felt the way I did."

"You left to go find her," Kim said. "But you told Tanya you hadn't." he looked away from her then and the realization dawned on Kim. "You found her, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he whispered; talking things out with Kim was allowing the pain of Kat's betrayal to come through and it showed in his voice.

"Tommy," Kim stood up and grabbed his other hand. "Please, tell me what happened." She could hear the pain in his voice and it was killing her.

"I saw her Kim," he bowed his head as he whispered the words to her. "I saw her with him."

"Oh no," Kim whispered before swallowing a few times. "With who Tommy, who was she with?"

"She was with Michael," Tommy answered, tears clogging his throat causing him to clear it a few times. "The two were in an empty classroom; she was sitting on a desk with Michael standing between her legs, his hand on her thigh. They were kissing and didn't even know I was there. God, how could she do this Kim? How could she cheat on me? I mean, if she wanted to be with him, she could've just told me. I don't understand; why would she do this? Why would she hurt me like this?"

Unable to bear the pain in his voice, Kim dropped Tommy's hands and looped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a hug. His arms went around her waist and tightened as he cried into her shoulder. Kim felt tears in her eyes as she listened to him and in that moment, she hated Kat; she hated her for hurting Tommy like this…for putting him through this pain…for not being brave enough to tell him she wanted out of their relationship.

"I'm so sorry Tommy," Kim whispered as she threaded her fingers through his hair. Her hand moved down to rub his back before she pulled back and held his face in her hands. She wiped his remaining tears away and gave him a tentative smile. "Do you think you're going to be ok?"

"I don't know Kim," he answered. "I'm still reeling from this and I can't think past it yet."

"Come on," she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the swing. They sat down and she tucked her feet under her and turned to face him. "How are you going to handle this?"

"I'm not sure," Tommy admitted. "I don't want to spoil the weekend for anybody but I'm not sure if I'll be able to stand being around her either."

"Are you going to tell the others?" Kim asked; she turned her head in the direction of the back when she heard Tanya's voice and Trini's laughter before turning back to him.

"I will," Tommy nodded as he let out a sigh before leaning his head back to rest against the top of the swing. "But I want to talk to Kat first."

"Understandable," Kim nodded. "I won't say anything to anyone until you give me the ok."

"I know you won't," He turned his head to smile at her. "But what about your brother? I know the two of are really close and like me, he'll be able to tell that something's bothering you and that you're hiding something from him."

"I know," Kim smiled. "Just like I know he will be content with whatever excuse I give to him."

"Alright," Tommy said.

"Do you want to go in?" Kim asked.

Tommy was silent for a few minutes before looking at her. "Can we stay out here for a little while longer?"

"Sure," Kim smiled; she was glad for that because she herself wasn't ready to leave his company or share it with the others, no matter how much she cared about them. her mind went over everything he told her and she still couldn't believe it; she found it slightly ironic that Kat had done the one thing Tommy had stopped himself from doing, all because he valued her friendship and he hadn't wanted to hurt her.

Tommy looked over at Kim; he was amazed by her and was glad that she was a part of his life. He supposed that she was like Kat in some ways; smart, funny and beautiful. But there was something that she had that Kat didn't; his heart. Kim had captured his heart easier than he thought possible. There was something about her that separated her from other girls, something about her that drew him in; she was small and had such a huge heart and perky personality that made him want to protect her at all times, and yet, she had such an inner strength, one which told him she could take care of herself. People say that no one is perfect, but in Tommy's eyes, Kim was perfection. He reached out and grabbed her hand. When she looked up at him with a smile on her face, he responded in kind and pulled her to him. When she was nestled into his chest, he placed a kiss on head. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke.

"You know," he said. "A part of me is angry with Kat for cheating on me, but it's overshadowed by the fact that I now have the chance to be with you. Don't get me wrong, I'm still angry at her for doing it and I'm still hurt by it…"

"But beneath the pain and anger," Kim continued. "You're happy because you're free."

"Yeah," He said softly.

"So am I," Kim shifted to smile up at him before resting her head on his chest. His arms tightened around her and the two were quiet once more.

_(By the pool)_

"So Kat," Aisha turned to the blonde as they walked over to the pool. "You're more relaxed tonight than you've been all week."

"Yeah," Trini chipped in. "What happened?"

"I am so sorry about that," Kat smiled at her friends. "I've been having an off week because I was being stupid."

"What do you mean?" Aisha asked as she sat down on the pool edge.

"Well," Kat pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. "I uh…I thought Tommy was cheating on me with Kim."

"What?!" Trini and Aisha exclaimed, before exchanging looks.

"I know, I know," Kat said. "Tanya told me off for it; it was silly of me to think that and I should've talked to Tommy instead of letting my suspicions and doubts stop me from having a better friendship with Kim and being a better girlfriend to Tommy."

"Wait," Aisha shook her head. "You mean to say that that's the reason you were acting the way you were since school started?"

"Yeah," Kat gave a sheepish nod. "I was stupid and I shouldn't have let things go on for this long, but I did and I'm sorry for it."

"Have you talked to Tommy?" Trini asked; she knew that Tommy never cheated on her, but through Kim, she knew that Tommy was planning on breaking up with Kat; yet it was obvious from the way that Kat was acting and the fact that he had told Tanya that he was looking for Kat and hadn't found her, told Trini that the two still needed to talk.

"No," Kat shook her head as she eased herself into the water. "I haven't yet."

"Why not?" Aisha asked. "I mean, if you thought Tommy was cheating on you, then how come you haven't talked to him about it?"

"I don't know really," Kat sighed. "I guess, at the time, a part of me was scared as to what his answer would be."

"Understandable," Trini nodded as she went into the water. "But if I were you, I would talk to Tommy."

"Tanya already told me that nothing was going on between the two of them," Kat said.

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't talk to Tommy," Tanya said as she came over.

"I know," Kat groaned. "Look, how about we enjoy the weekend and then I'll talk to Tommy after school on Monday?"

"Ok," Tanya nodded as well as the others.

"Hey girls," a voice called out to them; the girls looked up and saw Jason, and the other guys heading towards them.

"I thought you guys were playing video games?" Trini asked.

"We were," Zack M answered. "And then we realized that there's a pool out here with four beautiful girls, though all of them are taken, and we decided to join you."

"Well," Aisha smiled. "The more the merrier."

"Cannonball!" Rocky's voice sounded just before he jumped into the pool.

"Rocky!" all four girls shouted causing the others to laugh.

"What is going on back here?" Adam asked as he, Billy and Zack T came through the gate leading to the backyard.

"A death," Aisha said as she looked over at her boyfriend. "Because Rocky is about to die."

"What did you do now?" Billy asked Rocky.

"Nothing," Rocky said as he started backing away from the four girls. "All I did was a cannonball." He kept backing away but before he could go any further, Trini had gotten hold of him.

"I'm sorry," He tried pleading with the girls, but it was ruined by the fact that he was laughing.

"You will be," Tanya said. With that, the four girls jumped on him. The others' laughter and Rocky's screams brought the rest of their friends out by the pool.

"What's going on?" Karone asked as she Ashley, Cassie and Mitch came out.

"The girls are killing Rocky," Curtis answered.

"We can see that," Cassie said. "Why are they killing Rocky?"

"He decided to do a cannonball on the girls," Jason answered between laughs.

"Nice," Mitch laughed, only to be glared at by the girls. Before anyone could say anything however, he was pushed from behind and fell into the pool with a splash. When he surfaced, he saw Kim standing there, her hands crossed across her chest, a glare on her face and Tommy standing slightly behind her shaking his head.

"Hi Kim," Mitch let out a nervous smile.

"Mitchell," Kim said; the tone in her voice as she said his name made him and almost everyone else wince. "Why would you think that Rocky doing a cannonball on the girls is a nice thing to do?"

"Well, uh," he stuttered and Kim's glare intensified making the other boys happy they were not in his position.

"I'm waiting," Kim started tapping her foot; she was having a lot of fun teasing him. She knew that it was just a joke, but the look that was on his face as he thought Kim was angry with him was just too much for Kim to handle. She would let him suffer for a few more minutes before dropping it.

"It's not a nice thing," Mitch muttered apologetically. "And I'm sorry I thought so and laughed at the girls."

"Damn," Kim started laughing. "You caved so easily and so quickly." Her laughter started the ball rolling and pretty soon, everyone was laughing at Mitch and the confused and shocked look on his face.

"What?" Mitch looked from Kim to the others and back again. "You were teasing me?"

"Yep," Kim laughed.

"And she got you good," Zhane chuckled.

"I can't believe I fell for that," Mitch shook his head with a smile.

"Don't worry," Zack M said. "At least you got off easy and she was just playing with you; I didn't. I actually got her full blown anger."

"What did you do?" Adam asked.

"I called her Shorty," Zack M said. At the confused looks, he clarified. "Andros is the only one that's allowed to call her that, just like she's the only one that's allowed to call him Andy. I didn't listen when Zhane warned me not to call her that and I paid the price for it."

"What did you do?" Aisha turned to her friend.

"I may or may not have filled his locker with dead fish," Kim said. "I may or may not have spray-painted the Principal's car and office and then blame it on him and I may or may not have paid a girl to go over the intercom and say she was pregnant with his baby."

"What?" the friends looked at Kim in shock while Zhane, Karone and Andros laughed and Tommy shook his head.

"You really did that?" Rocky turned wide eyes to Kim.

"Yes she did," Andros said once he had calmed down.

"After that," Karone continued. "Everyone knew not to ever call Kim Shorty or make fun of her height."

"Whoa," Zack T said. "Girl, you're definitely not someone to mess with."

"So," Rocky said. "Never get on Kim's bad side; good to know."

"I guess we're having a pool party?" Tommy looked around at them.

"Why not?" Kim shrugged. "I'll go and change; Tommy, I think Andy may have another pair of trunks that you can borrow."

"Alright," Tommy nodded.

"What about the rest of you?" Kim turned to the others.

"I think I'll decline," Billy said as he held up his helicopters. "I'm having too much fun with these."

"Spoken like a true nerd," Kim smiled as she ruffled his hair.

Billy laughed; if it was anyone else that had said that to him, he would've been hurt and angry, but he knew that Kim didn't mean anything by it and it was more of an affectionate term than anything.

"I'm with Billy," Zack T smiled. "I want to race my Jet Plane against his 'copters."

"I think I'm going to stay with Zack and Billy," Adam smiled. "Maybe later I'll join."

"Alright," Kim nodded. "Be right back."

She and Tommy turned to go in the house, Kat watching their every move.

"Instead of being here and glaring holes in their backs," Tanya said. "Just go and talk to him."

"No," Kat shook her head. "We're supposed to be having fun right now and I don't want to ruin by having that conversation. If anything, I'll talk to him tomorrow or Sunday at the latest."

"Alright," Tanya nodded. "Just don't let the weekend past and you haven't."

"I won't," Kat smiled and that was the end of the conversation. Ten minutes later, Tommy and Kim came back out, decked in their swim wear and they joined the others in the pool. The friends spent the rest of the night having fun, not knowing that things would change by the time the weekend was over.

…

The next morning, the friends woke early at seven; since Zack's parents were picking him up at eight, they had wanted to say goodbye with breakfast, with the intention of going back to bed after he left.

"Morning guys," Zack M said as he walked into the kitchen; everyone was sitting at the counter, while Kim, Karone and Rocky prepared breakfast.

"Hi," Kim smiled over at him. "Are you all packed?"

"Yeah," Zack M nodded. "You know you guys didn't all have to wake up."

"We know," Jason nodded. "But we wanted to; one last goodbye."

"Ok," Zack M smiled.

"When are your parents going to be here?" Kat asked.

"Should be soon," Zack said. "They said they'll call just before they leave to come get me."

"Ok," Kat nodded. After finishing up with making breakfast, the friends prepared their plates and sat down. They talked while they ate, and before they knew it, breakfast was over. They moved from the kitchen to the living and had just sat down when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Kim moved from her seat to answer it. "Oh hi Mrs. Morris; yes he's right here…hold on a minute." She walked over to Zack and gave the phone to him.

"Hi mom," Zack said into the phone. "Yeah I'm ready; alright, I'll see you in ten." He hung before turning to the others. "They'll be here in about ten minutes."

"Well," Tanya spoke up. "It was fun having you here Zack; I'm glad I got to meet you."

"Same here man," Zack T said. "Although it was a little weird having two Zacks around." everyone laughed as they remembered the confusion on both guys' faces whenever someone called their names.

"I agree," Zack M laughed. "But it was still fun."

The group talked a bit more until they heard the honking out front.

"That's my parents," Zack M said as he got up and grabbed his bag. Kim got up behind him and followed him to the door.

"I'm gonna miss you Preppy," Kim smiled.

"I'll miss you too Kim," Zack said as he pulled her into a hug. "Oh, just so you know; I like him…he's a keeper."

"I know," Kim smiled; she didn't question how he knew, as he was one of her closest friends. "And don't worry; the situation won't stay how it is for long."

"That's good to know," he smiled. "I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"He won't hurt me," Kim shook her head. "That's why we did things the way we did, but he made a decision and it's one that we're both happy with."

"Good," Zack nodded. "Well, I'll call you when we get where we're going."

"Alright," Kim smiled as she hugged him once more. "When you get back to Bayside, say hello to the others for me."

"Will do," Zack said as he pulled back from the hug. "See you Kim."

"Bye Zack," Kim waved as she closed the door behind her and headed back to her friends. She walked into the room, heading back to her seat between Trini and Rocky, the latter wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her half into his lap.

"Rocky!" she laughed as she tried half-heartedly to get away. "Let me go."

"I don't believe I will," Rocky laughed; as did the others.

"So what are we doing today?" TJ asked.

"Well," Jason said. "I know we had the intention of going back to sleep, but I can see that we're all too wired for that."

"True," Curtis nodded. "So what do we do now?"

"We could watch movies?" Andros suggested. "Seeing as how we didn't get to do that last night as we decided to have a moonlight mini pool party."

"Sounds like a plan," Billy nodded.

"Well," Karone said. "We have a lot of movies in the den; we can search through those and either watch them there or down in the basement."

"Let's watch them in the den," Adam said. "It's closer to the kitchen."

"Alright," Kim nodded. "What do you guys want to eat? We have popcorn and pizza."

"Pizza." The group chorused.

"Pizza it is then," Kim laughed. "Why don't you guys head to the den and I'll get the pizza started."

"I'll help you," Tommy said and the two headed to the kitchen while the others went to the den. When they got to the kitchen, Kim went straight to the deep freezer and pulled out four large pizzas; cheese, pepperoni, meat and veggie.

Tommy took the pizzas from her while Kim went through the cupboards for the pizza pans; she found them and placed them on the counter. Tommy placed the pizzas on them before putting them in the oven.

"Are you guys sure you don't need any help?" Kat stood in the doorway; she saw the way Tommy shifted his position so he wouldn't have to look at her and she was hurt and a little puzzled.

"We're sure," Kim smiled at the blonde, though inside she was angry at her. "Don't worry Kat, we can handle this."

"If you're sure," Kat hesitated; she was curious as to why her boyfriend seemed to be ignoring her.

"I am," Kim nodded.

Kat stood in the doorway for a few more seconds, hoping Tommy would look at her; when he didn't, she turned and left; a heavy feeling in her heart.

After making sure they were alone, Kim turned to Tommy. She closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his arm.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Still in the shock and pain mode," Tommy answered. "I think I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it, you know? I can't believe she would do that and then act the way she's acting. I don't know if I'll be able to go through the weekend without confronting her."

"I understand," Kim said. "I mean, even I'm having a hard time not snapping at her; I just can't believe she'd do that…talk about irony; you went through so much not to cheat on her and she turns around and cheats on you."

"I know," Tommy sighed. He stepped forward, his hands moving to rest on Kim's waist as he rested his forehead against hers. "It hurts Kim; I know I wasn't in love with her, but what she did still hurt. I considered her one of my closest friends and for her to do this…for her to betray me like she did…"

"Oh Tommy," Kim sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and his went completely around her waist. "I know I've said it before but I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Tommy pulled back to look into her eyes. "It's hers; she should've just been honest with me from the start."

"Yes she should've," Kim nodded. "But, let's not think about that now; remember, you said you don't want to ruin this weekend for the others."

"You're right," Tommy sighed before he smiled at her. They were quiet for some time, just enjoying each others' presence; about thirty minutes later, the oven timer went off.

"Come on," Tommy said. "Let's get these pizzas to the others before they hunt us down."

"Alright," Kim giggled. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N 2: **next half will be up soon…like tomorrow. Anyways, as always, read and review.


	9. Ch 7: Part Two

**A/N: **this is the second half of the chapter. Enjoy.

**Slytherensangel26: **again, your idea helped with this chapter, so thank you.

**O.P.D: **Sunday 9th, May '10.

* * *

They gathered up the pizzas before leaving the kitchen and headed to the den where the others were.

"We've got pizza," Kim announced as she walked into the room.

"Thank God," Zhane said.

"It's about time," Rocky breathed.

"I take it you're hungry," Kim laughed. "But you just had breakfast."

"That don't matter to this boy," Aisha snorted as she thought on her boyfriend and his big appetite.

"And neither this one," Karone gestured to Zhane. "But you should know that Kim."

Kim laughed as she and Tommy passed out the pizzas; after grabbing the kind they wanted, they chose their first movie and placed it in the VCR player. The friends settled around the room, finding comfortable positions to relax in and watch the movie. A few hours later, they took a break and decided to freshen up; the girls used the showers upstairs while the boys used the one near the kitchen and the one in the basement. An hour and a half later, everyone was finished with the showers and had met back up in the den.

"So what are we watching next?" Trini asked as she leaned back against Jason.

"Hmm," Kim looked through the movies. "How about _'Die Hard'_?"

"Seriously?" Kat looked over at Kim. "I was thinking we could watch '_An Officer and a Gentleman._"

"So was I," Cassie nodded and Ashley agreed.

"No way," TJ protested as did the other guys. "I am not watching that movie."

"I agree with TJ," Kim nodded much to the guys' amusement and the other girls' consternation. "I'd rather watch '_Die Hard'."_

"Kim," Ashley looked over at her. "That movie is one the most romantic movies of all time."

"I know," Kim nodded. "But as girly as I am, I love action movies just as much, if not more, than romantic movies; hence the reason I want to watch _Die Hard._"

"I agree with Kim," Tanya added.

"So do I," Trini said. "I'm in the mood for some fighting and explosions and _Die Hard _has all that."

"So we're watching _Die Hard_?" Adam looked between the girls.

"Yep," Kim nodded with a smile. "Sorry girls, but you've been outvoted."

"Just wait." Cassie threatened with a smile. "We'll get you back."

"I'm trembling in my socks." Kim gave a little shiver to back up her words, causing the others, including Cassie, to laugh.

"If only I wasn't gay," Mitch sighed. "Kim, you'd be the perfect girl for me."

"Love you too Mitch," Kim laughed as she got up and put in the movie. She grabbed the remote and moved back to her seat, which was between Mitch and Tommy. When she sat down, Tommy's arm, which was on the top of the couch above her, moved to play with her hair. Kim started the movie and relaxed into her seat, comforted by Tommy's hand in her hair.

When the movie was over, they noticed that the clock showed one thirty, so they took another break and headed to the kitchen to get something to eat.

"What should we eat?" Aisha asked. "Rocky, Zhane, don't say pizza."

"Damn," the two said together.

"We can always cook something," Trini suggested.

"Like what?" Kat asked as she leaned against the counter next to Tommy.

"Pasta," Andros said. "I'm in the mood for pasta…or spaghetti, either one's fine."

"So we're gonna go Italian?" Mitch said. "Hmmm, we could do the pasta and if you guys have shrimp…"

"We do have shrimp actually," Karone said. "Mom and dad did a grocery shopping last weekend and they bought some."

"Alright," Tanya nodded. "So it's decided? We're having pasta and shrimp?"

"Yep," Zack nodded along with everyone else.

"Ok," Kim said. "If you're helping you can stay, everyone else can head back to the den." She moved to Rocky and grabbed his hand. "You're staying, so don't even think about leaving."

"Ok," Rocky said; his dad was a cook and Rocky had picked up some things from him.

"So who else is staying?" Trini asked. "I know I am."

"I'll stay," Ashley said.

"Me too," Mitch smiled. "I love cooking."

"We have Trini, Rocky, Ashley, Mitchell and me staying," Kim counted off. "Anyone else?"

"I'll help," Tommy said. "My mom made pasta enough that I actually know what to do."

"Alright," Kim nodded. "Everyone else can go back to the den."

"You heard the lady," Tanya laughed as she steered the others out of the kitchen and back to the den. "If you guys need any more help, just call."

"We will," Trini nodded. The others left the kitchen and they got started; once in a while, one of the others would come back in, but the group in the kitchen was pretty much left alone. Throughout the preparation, Tommy and Kim kept giving each other quick glances and touches, which went unnoticed by everyone except for Trini, who just shook her head and smiled. An hour later, everything was finished.

"We're done," Ashley sighed.

"Thank God," Rocky said. "The scent of the pasta has me really hungry."

"You're not alone in that," Trini smiled. "I'll go and gather the others."

"I'll go wash my hands," Mitchell said and he walked out the kitchen.

"Right behind you," Rocky said as he walked out the kitchen behind him.

"I should go do that as well," Ashley said as she followed the two.

"It's starting to seem like a conspiracy to get us alone," Kim said, which to her delight, caused Tommy to laugh.

"I don't mind," Tommy smiled. Before he could say anything else, Trini came back to the kitchen with the others in tow.

"I have the hungry people," she announced as she walked in.

"I'll get the plates," Karone said as she walked over to the cabinet; she took out nineteen of them. "Damn, I didn't realize it was so many of us."

"I know right?" Kim laughed. Karone passed the plates around and everyone filled them with what the amount they wanted.

The group talked quietly as they ate; making plans for the rest of the day. When they were done, Andros, Zhane, Tanya, Kat and Cassie cleaned up the tables while Billy, Zack and Adam did the dishes and Curtis and TJ took care of the garbage, leaving Kim and the others to relax out on the back porch until they were done.

"It's nice to just relax," Ashley said, causing the others to laugh.

"I know," Kim nodded. "Maybe they should've helped with the cooking."

"I'm glad they didn't," Rocky chuckled. "Otherwise we'd be the ones cleaning up right now."

"Good point," Trini smiled. They were quiet once more, but their silence was broken a few minutes later by the phone ringing.

"One of the others will get it," Kim said. "I hope."

"With all of them in there," Aisha said. "It'd be shocking if none of them gets it."

"You're very quiet Tommy," Ashley said, causing the others to look at him. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah," Tommy shook his head. "Nothing is wrong; just have a few things on my mind that's all. Don't worry though, I'll have it all sorted out soon."

Kim caught the message in his slightly cryptic words, as did Trini; though only Kim knew the true depth of his words.

"Hey Kim," Curtis said as he came out on the porch.

"Yeah Curtis?" Kim turned to look at him.

"It's for you," he said as he held the phone out to her.

"Thanks," she smiled up at him as she took the phone out of his hand. "Hello?"

"_Hi Aunt Belle," a voice on the other end spoke._

"Connor!" Kim's eyes and face lit up as she recognized her nephew's voice.

"_How'd you now it was me and not Eric?" Connor asked his aunt._

"Because you're the only one that calls me that," Kim smiled.

"_Eric could've said that to try and trick you," Connor smiled._

"No," Kim shook her head, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "He tried that before and ended up calling me 'Kim' before he was even finished; you're the only one that calls me 'Belle'."

"_Only because I couldn't say Kimberly properly," Connor laughed._

"True," Kim giggled. "How are you Ceej?"

"_I'm good," Connor said. "I've been doing well in school; my grades are improving a lot."_

"I'm glad to hear that," Kim said. "I'm proud of you."

"_Thanks Aunt Belle," Connor smiled. "Hey, guess what?"_

"What?"

"_My team won the championship," Connor bounced on the balls of his feet, a characteristic trait he seemed to pick up from his aunt._

"Really?" Kim let out a pleased gasp. "Con, that's wonderful. I hope you guys taped it so that I could see it."

"_We did," Connor laughed. "I reminded dad about it all the time; I even had mom make sure he did it."_

"He better have," Kim chuckled. "What about Eric? I know he had a Martial Arts expo."

"_He did really well in it," Connor said. "It was earlier this week, so dad was all happy knowing that both of us did so good."_

"I'm surprised he hasn't called yet," Kim laughed. "Knowing how much of a proud papa he is."

"_I'm sure he will," Connor laughed as he thought on his father._

"Where's Eric anyways?" Kim asked.

"_He's at David and Sam's," Connor said. "Their team decided to meet today to go over their moves and practice for their upcoming expos."_

"And what are you doing home?" Kim asked. "I figured you'd be with your soccer buddies."

"_I was with them this morning," Connor said. "I just got home about ten minutes ago and decided to call."_

"I feel so special," Kim teased.

"_You should," Connor laughed._

"You're lucky you don't live here," Kim said. "Or I'd get you for that comment."

"_I'm so scared," Connor smiled. _

"You should be," Kim smiled. "So, where is that father of yours?"

"_He's actually right here," Connor said; looking at his dad who had just walked into the room. "Do you want to talk to him?"_

"Sure," Kim said. "Why not?"

"_Alright," Connor said before he handed the phone to his dad. "Here dad, it's Aunt Belle."_

_Alex took the phone from his son with a smile. "Hey sis."_

"Alex," Kim said. "Being such a proud dad and all, how come you didn't call to tell me about Eric and Connor's matches?"

"_Well I was going to," Alex said. "But my son beat me to it."_

"Nice excuse," Kim smiled. "How are you?"

"_I'm good," Alex said. "Em and I have our hands full with the twins and our jobs, but that's parenting and adulthood for you. What about you? How are things going in your life…you and the other three?"_

"They're going good," Kim said. "Andy has a girlfriend, who's really sweet and couldn't be a better match for him." She winked at Ashley who blushed when she heard that.

"_Really?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Come on; give me details. What about Zhane and Karone?"_

"They or I should say, Zhane, finally realized how he felt about her and admitted it," Kim smiled. "Now the two of them are together."

"_Seriously?" Alex's voice held disbelief. "Well it's about time; how does mom and dad feel?"_

"That's what Andy and I said," Kim laughed. "And mom and dad doesn't know yet."

"_Mom's going to be ecstatic," Alex smiled. "But dad…dad is probably going to go through the roof and the whole, 'you're dating my daughter' routine…shotgun and everything."_

"I know," Kim laughed. "And I am so looking forward to it."

"_Sadist," Alex teased. "But give me all the details went that happens; you can even tape it and make it better for me."_

"Will do," Kim laughed; the others came out on the porch and Andros shook his head when he saw she was still on the phone.

"_Alright, I've got to go," Alex said. "Tell the others I said hi and tell Zhane and Andros that I'm wondering when they're going to let me know they're dating."_

"I will," Kim smiled. "Talk to you later Alex."

"_Talk to you later sis," Alex said. "Bye."_

"Bye," Kim said before she hung up.

"What'd Alex want?" Karone asked as she sat on top of the railing.

"To say hi," Kim said. "And to tell Andros that's he's wondering when he's going to let him know he has a girlfriend."

"Damn," Andros groaned. "I was hoping he wouldn't find out about it yet."

"Why not?" Ashley turned curious eyes to her boyfriend.

"Because Alex will tease the hell out of him for it," Zhane laughed.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you Zhane," Kim smirked. "Alex reminded me of something."

"What's that?" Zhane asked.

"Oh, nothing really," Kim said. "Except for the fact that you still have to tell mom and dad you're dating Karone."

"Oh shit!" Zhane exclaimed before he paled suddenly.

"Oh man," Andros laughed. "I am so glad I'm not you."

"He's not going to do anything Zhane," Karone walked over to her boyfriend to try and calm him down. "He loves you remember?"

"That was before Zhane decided to date his baby girl," Kim said; she knew she was freaking him out, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up and it was enjoyable. "You know dad is more over protective of you than me; which, considering what happened in freshman, is saying. You're his youngest and his little girl. Zhane, you are in for it; he'll probably take out his shotgun and polish it in front of you."

"Kim, you're not helping," Karone turned to level a glare at her older sister.

"Zhane," Adam laughed. "You're in for it."

"I feel for you man," Jason added with a laugh.

"We'll make sure that everyone knows how good of a friend you were at your funeral," Rocky said before he collapsed in laughter.

"I'll make sure you're tombstone reads _'Here lies Zhane Daniel Matthews; his only wrongdoing was that he fell in love with a man's baby girl.'_" Kim smiled.

"Kimberly," Karone said. "Cut it out; it's bad enough he'll have to worry about daddy breaking his legs, you don't have to add all that." Karone turned around when she heard a strangled noise, only to see Zhane choking on air. "Are you ok?"

"I think that comment about your dad breaking his legs was too much," Trini giggled.

"I'm sorry," Karone tried to hide her smile. "Daddy won't do anything once he sees how much we care for each other."

"Yeah right," Kim snorted, only to receive a nudge in her ribs from Tommy for it.

"That's ok," Zhane straightened up and tried to adopt an air of indifference. "I'm not worried; you're right, he already loves me and I'll just remind him about that."

"I wish you all the luck in the world buddy," Zack snickered.

"Thank God I don't have to go through that," Mitch shook his head with a laugh.

"Lucky bastard," Zhane muttered good-naturedly.

"Why thank you," Mitch smiled and the others laughed.

"So," Curtis said. "Any thoughts on what we're doing this afternoon?"

"Movies," Adam said. "Or we could play a little tag football."

"I'm up for that," Jason nodded.

"Alright," Rocky clapped his hands. "We need two teams; but first, who's all playing?"

"I think I'm going to sit this out," Billy said. "Football is not really my thing."

"I'm going to sit out too," Tommy said.

"Are you sure bro?" Jason turned to his friend.

"Definitely," Tommy gave him a smile.

"Alright," Jason shrugged. "So Billy and Tommy are out and that leaves Andros, Zhane, Rocky, Zack, Curtis, TJ, Adam and me."

"So," Rocky said. "We need two teams of four; how about me, Andros, Zhane and Zack on one team and Jason, Curtis, TJ and Adam on the other team?"

"Let's switch out Curtis for Zhane," Andros said. "And then we have our teams."

"Why?" Rocky asked.

"Because both you and Zhane on the same team, is just asking for trouble," Jason shook his head with a laugh.

"We would've behaved," Zhane grumbled.

"And I'm the King of France," Andros retorted.

"Well alright then," Adam clapped his hands. "Let's get this game started."

The guys cheered and after moving to their teams, the game was underway. The girls talked shopping while Tommy and Billy were quiet. Every once in a while, the girls would cheer for a team and Billy and Tommy would shake their heads and laugh. The guys took a break about two thirty, eating a quick snack before continuing. Throughout the game, Rocky and Zhane didn't let the fact that they were opposite teams stop them; they messed with each other's team members as much as they messed with each other, causing the girls to laugh and their teammates a lot of frustration. An hour later, they finished up the game which was a tie. The guys headed straight to the showers while the others went back to the den. When they came back, they finished out the night watching movies.

…

The next day, they woke up around nine, and after eating breakfast, they decided to head over to Ernie's to hang out.

"Hi guys," Ernie smiled when he saw them.

"Hey Ernie." The friends chorused.

"So how was the dance on Friday?" he asked them.

"It was a lot of fun," Kat was the one to answer. "I enjoyed it."

Tommy looked over at her and snorted softly; _'I bet you did.'_

Hearing it, Kim looked at him out of the corner of her eye before shaking her head minutely.

"That's good," Ernie said. "So, you guys want your usual?"

"Definitely," Zhane nodded.

"Alright," Ernie laughed. "You guys can go sit down; I'll bring out your food when it's ready."

"Thanks Ernie," Zack smiled. The friends made their way to their regular seats and sat down.

"This sleepover is one of the best I've been to," Cassie said as she leaned against TJ.

"I agree," Ashley smiled at her best friend. "I think that we should have all sleepovers at the Hart house."

"And I'm guessing the pool, the games and movie collection have nothing to do with it," Mitch smirked.

"Maybe," Ashley laughed. "Maybe not."

"Well I for one agree with her," Trini said. "And I'm not afraid to say it's because of the pool and the movies and the fact that Kim has a balcony for her room."

"And the backyard is pretty amazing as well," Adam said. "So, I agree with Trini too."

"Oh my God," Kim laughed. "You guys are something else."

"And you still love us," Aisha stuck her tongue out at her.

"Whatever," Kim smiled; she looked around the gym before her gaze landed on the beam. She hadn't been on it in a few days and she missed it. Sitting up, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and got up out of her seat. She was thankful that she had decided to wear shorts and a tank top so she didn't have to go to the locker room. Seeing her, Andros got up from his seat to follow her. When she noticed it, Kim smiled at him.

"Are you ever going to stop coming with me?" she asked.

"No," Andros shook his head with a smile. "Not even if you pay me off."

"Ok," Kim laughed. "Just checking."

"Let's go," Andros said and the two walked towards the beam. Unlike last time, he sat down in the seat and allowed Kim to get on the beam on her own rather than help her. Kim started off with a back handspring before settling more fully into the routine.

Back at the table, Ernie walked over with two trays that had the food on it.

"Here you go guys," he said as he placed the trays on the table. He looked over to where Kim and Andros were and smiled. "She's very good and he seems very protective."

"Yes she is," Karone smiled. "And yes he is."

"When they come back," Ernie said. "Tell them to come up to the counter for their food; I didn't bring it when I saw that they went to the beam."

"Will do Ernie," Zack smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ernie said before he turned and headed back to the kitchen. The gang ate while their eyes would periodically drift over to the beam to watch Kim. They finished eating and were content to sit and talk; soon after, Jason and Zack decided to spar a little while Rocky and Zhane decided to check out the exercise equipments. Kim was still on the beam, but Ashley and Aisha had joined Andros is watching her. Trini had chosen to climb the rope while Billy and Cassie watched her; the latter opting to go after her sister was done. Kat and Tommy were still sitting at the table along with the others.

"Do you think the girls will want to stop by the mall today?" Kat asked Tanya.

"I think so," Tanya said. "Wasn't there a sale going on?"

"That doesn't start until tomorrow," Kat replied. "But I wanted to go today to see what they have, that way, when I go tomorrow I'd already know what I planned to buy."

"Sounds like a plan," Tanya nodded.

"Is there any way we can get out of this?" Curtis groaned.

"Maybe," Tanya laughed. "We might decide to let you guys have the afternoon to yourselves; but I'd have to consult with the other girls."

"Oh please do," TJ clasped his hands together and looked at Tanya with wide eyes. "I love Cassie, I do, but I don't want to spend the afternoon at the mall, especially knowing I'd have to do it tomorrow after school."

"Alright, alright," Tanya laughed at him. "I'll tell the girls to let you guys off."

"Thank you!" both TJ and Curtis said.

"I'll be right back," Kat smiled as she got up from the table. Tommy, who was looking around, jerked his gaze back to her; his eyes narrowed as they followed her. He watched as she left the building and saw a guy standing outside; looking closer, he saw who it was. A surge of anger went through him and he got up from the table; he barely registered him telling the others he'd be back, his thoughts were completely focused on Kat and the guy she was following.

…

Kat got up from the table and walked towards the entrance of the juice bar; she had spotted Michael standing near the door and had decided to go after him. She was a little curious as to why he was there and his staring at her left her filled with a sense of unease. She didn't turn to look back at her friends. If she had, she would've saw her boyfriend staring at her and she would've noticed when he got up from the table to follow her; but she didn't and it would a mistake that she would pay for. She watched as Michael walked out the door and she quickened her steps; she caught up to him just outside the entrance.

"Michael," she called out. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a public place Kat," Michael said as he stopped and turned to her. "There's no law against me being there."

Kat conceded that he was right and she frowned as she looked at him. "Why were you watching me?"

"I told you it wasn't over between us Kat," Michael said as he stepped closer to her.

"What are you doing?" Kat hissed as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Any one of my friends could come out right now and see us; anyone could come out right now!"

Michael ignored her words and leaned down to place a kiss on her neck. "You still want me Kat, no matter what you said on Friday."

"N-no I don't." Even as she denied his words, she still tilted her neck to give him better access. Against her wishes, her arms went up to lock around his neck. "I love Tommy."

"This isn't about that Kat," Michael said as he nipped her neck a few times before licking it, drawing a moan from her. "It's about lust, plain and simple and you are in serious lust with me…as I am with you."

"Michael," Kat moaned his name before pulling his up from her neck; she looked into his eyes and shivered as she saw the lust there. _'He's right; I may not love him or even like him, but I do want him. But is it worth the risk?' _She played with his hair at the back of his neck as she thought on that question; was what she was doing really worth the risk?

Michael, as if seeing the indecision in her eyes, leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Kat let out a gasp, and he used that opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth making her arms tighten around his neck and pulling a moan from her.

As Kat kissed back, the answer to her question came to her mind; _'It may not be worth it, but it feels good.' _When she felt Michael's tongue in her mouth, she used her own to caress it, losing herself in the pleasure, not knowing her world was about to come crashing down on her. She deepened the kiss and drew back for a mouthful of air before capturing Michael's lips once more. They kissed for a few more minutes before Kat pulled away. She leaned her forehead against his and took a couple breaths of air.

"I have to go," she said; their lips were so close that she could feel his breath against hers. "I've been gone for too long and I have to get back before they come looking for me."

"Too late," a voice behind them spoke; Kat's body stiffened in shock. She jerked away from Michael to turn around and her eyes widened in horror when she saw Tommy standing there.

"Tommy," Kat whispered. She disentangled herself from Michael's arms and turned fully to face her boyfriend. She took a step towards him but stopped when she saw the dark look in his eyes.

"How could you Kat?" Tommy asked; his eyes and voice filled with pain and anger. "How could you betray me like that?" she took another step towards him but he stepped back.

"Tommy," Kat pleaded. "Please…"

"No," Tommy shook his head. He turned to go, but stopped and looked back at Michael. "Since you want her so bad, you can have her. It's over Kat; just stay away from me."

With that, he walked away and hurried back to the youth center, ignoring Kat's calls of his name. When he disappeared from view, Kat turned back to Michael.

"I have to talk to him," she said. "He needs to understand."

"What's there to understand?" Michael looked at her. "He caught you with me, there's nothing hard to figure out from that. Let him go Kat."

"I have to talk to him," Kat repeated. "I have to." She pulled away from Michael and hurried after Tommy.

…

Tommy stalked back into the youth center, pain and anger rolling off of him in waves. He was in shock over catching Kat and Michael for a second time. He couldn't believe that she was so careless about where she met him that she didn't care if she was seen or not. Bypassing his friends, he headed straight for the punching bag; after lacing up his hands, he started in on it. The more his thoughts focused on Kat, the more aggressive he was, drawing concerned looks from his friends.

Kim had just completed a back handspring when she saw Tommy stalk back into the youth center; she had seen him follow Kat outside and had though that the two would finally talk, but looking at the way he attacked the bag, she knew something else had happened. She watched as Kat hurried inside, her eyes wide and filled with fear, panic and regret. She saw as the blonde headed towards Tommy and she knew that that was a mistake. Flipping off the beam, she walked over to her brother, Ashley and Aisha.

"We have to go," Kim told them as she grabbed her shoes and put them on.

"What are you talking about?" Ashley asked.

"Why?" Aisha looked at her.

"What's going on sis?" Andros asked.

"Something's wrong with Tommy," Kim said as she fixed her clothes before gesturing to him.

"What the hell?" Aisha's face held a confused look as she watched her friend. She saw Kat trying to talk to Tommy and said guy ignoring her and attacking the bag even more.

"I don't know what happened," Kim said as she moved towards the table where the others were watching the scene. "But I do know it was something bad and we need to leave before Tommy blows up."

"Did something happen between Kat and Tommy?" Tanya asked.

"It looks that way," Curtis said. "But what?"

Kim was going to say something when she saw Michael at the entrance to the juice bar. She watched him and saw that he was looking at Tommy and Kat and she shifted her eyes back and forth between them.

"Oh no," Kim whispered as the realization dawned on her. She looked back at her friends. "Guys, get to the cars and head back to my house; Tanya can you get Kat?"

"What's going on Kim?" Tanya asked as she got up out of her seat.

"I don't know," Kim shook her head. "Only Tommy and Kat can tell us that and I don't think we should have this conversation here."

"Alright," Tanya nodded. "Let's go."

The others got up and headed out to the parking lot while Kim and Tanya moved down to where Tommy and Kat were. As they passed Jason and the others, Tanya repeated what Kim had said while Kim herself kept going. As she got close, she could hear the tears in Kat's voice as she pleaded with Tommy.

"Talk to me please," Kat said.

"Get out of my sight Kat," Tommy growled. "Now."

"Uh oh," Kim whispered when she heard that. She hurried her steps to the duo.

"Tommy," Kat tried once more.

"What the hell do you want to talk about?" Tommy whirled around on her. "Do you want to talk about how you were making out with Michael? Is that it? Or how you played me for a fool?"

"It's not like that," Kat shook her head even as she felt tears fill her eyes; everything was going so wrong and she knew it was her fault and she had no idea how to stop it.

"Guys," Kim said as she came to a stop near them. "Let's do this at home. I know you want to talk, but this is not the place."

"Stay out of this," Kat hissed at Kim; a part of her was shocked at how she reacted to Kim but she knew she was just looking for a scapegoat for what was happening.

"Don't talk to her like that," Tommy's voice was dark when he spoke and Kat flinched when she heard it.

Kim took a calming breath to stifle the anger that threatened to come up inside her before she turned to place a hand on Tommy's arm to calm him down. "I don't want to be in this, but I do know that you don't want everyone else witnessing it either; so I suggest you do as I say and take it back to my house. Tommy you can ride with me; Kat go with Tanya."

Kat tried to say something, but Kim cut her off.

"Tommy can cool down this way," Kim said. "Let's go…now."

Tommy stepped back from the punching bag before grabbing Kim's hand in his and turning to go, leaving Kat staring after the two of them. She stood there for a few seconds before following them. When the three of them got outside, the others were leaning against their cars waiting for them.

"What's up?" Jason asked as he looked between Kim, Tommy and Kat.

"Not now Jase," Kim shook her head. "I have a feeling that this is too big to do this here."

"Jase," Trini called to her boyfriend; when he looked at her, she shook her head.

"Alright," Jason sighed. "Let's go."

"Tommy's going to ride with me," Kim said. "Mitch, can you get a ride with one of the others?"

"No problem," Mitch nodded; normally he would've made a joke or something, but he could see and sense the seriousness of the situation so he did as Kim asked without any problems.

"Ok," Kim said. "Let's go." The group nodded before getting into their vehicles. The ride back to the house was quiet in every vehicle as the occupants in each wondered as to what was going on; Kat refused to say anything when Tanya asked and in Kim's car, Tommy was periodically clenching his hands into fists prompting Kim to reach over and grab his hand every time he did it. The last time she did that, Tommy kept hold her hand and laced their fingers together.

They reached the house and after parking in the driveway, everyone headed inside. When they door closed behind the last person, which was Mitch, everyone headed to the living room.

"Ok," Jason said as he crossed his arms. "Can someone please tell us what happened at the youth center?"

"Guys," Tanya asked. "What's going on?"

"Do you want to tell her Kat?" Tommy said. "Or should I?"

Kat looked from her friends to Tommy and back again.

"Kat," Tanya turned to her friend. "What's going on? What does Tommy want you to tell us?"

"Please," Kat turned pleading eyes to Tommy. "Let's talk about this alone."

"You didn't seem to think about being alone before," Tommy said. "First the night of the dance and now today; just tell me Kat, how long has this been going on? How long have you been cheating on me?"

"What?" Tommy's words drew surprise from everyone except for Kim.

"How long Kat?" Tommy ignored his friends and focused on the blonde in front of him. "How long have you been seeing Michael behind my back?"

"Kat," Aisha turned to the blonde. "Is Tommy telling the truth? Did you cheat on him? Please say you didn't…"

Kat was quiet as she listened to her friends, tears running down her cheeks. She couldn't believe how things had changed so quickly; everything was falling apart and it was no one's fault but hers.

"It's true," she whispered finally. "He's telling the truth."

"You can't be serious," Trini said. "Why would you do that?"

"Was this before or after we talked Kat?" Tanya asked.

"What?" Kat turned to look at her.

"Were you cheating on Tommy before or after we talked?" Tanya repeated her question.

"Before," Kat answered. "It was before."

"What are you talking about?" Zack looked between the two of them.

"Friday night before the dance," Tanya answered when she saw that Kat had gone quiet again. "I noticed that Kat had been acting weird all week and I confronted her about it. She admitted to me that it was because she thought Tommy was cheating on her with Kim."

"What?" Andros turned to look at Kat.

"I told her that he wasn't," Tanya continued. "And that I was glad that she had talked to me instead of doing something stupid like going with someone else for revenge. You must have laughed when I said that."

"No, Tanya," Kat shook her head frantically. "It wasn't like that."

"I can't believe you cheated on Tommy," Cassie said. "All because you thought he was cheating with Kim?"

"Well what was I supposed to think?" Kat asked. "They were always together, always talking, always whispering, always touching; he was more comfortable around her than he was around me, he sought her out more often that he did me. It was like every time I turned around, the two of them were together."

"You could've talked to me," Tommy said. "You could've come up and told me about it but instead, you did the cowardly thing and decided to cheat; and the worst thing is, if I hadn't caught you, you never would've told me. My God, the irony is killing me; I was so freaking stupid."

"What are you talking about?" Kat asked; she could hear all the pain in his voice and it was killing her because she knew it was because of her. She was truly in love with him and now she had hurt him more than anything.

"I was so busy trying not to hurt you or cheat on you," Tommy said. "I didn't want to put you through that pain, that's why Kim and I decided to be friends; we didn't want to destroy the relationship I had with you if all we felt for each other was attraction. We were only friends Kat. Kim and I came to an agreement that nothing would happen between us unless our feelings changed."

"If our feelings became more than an attraction," Kim picked up. "Then we would talk about it and Tommy would end his relationship with you before we did anything. It might sound like we didn't care about you, but it's because we cared about you why we made that decision. The irony of it is, Tommy tried not to cheat on you but in the end, you turned around and cheated on him."

"I already told you this Kat," Tanya shook her head. "I don't understand; why did you do this? _How _could you do this?"

"I'm sorry," Kat said. "I am so sorry; I know I made a mistake and I will regret it for the rest of my life. I love you Tommy, please, please give me a chance to make it up to you."

"No Kat," Tommy shook his head. "I can't; I trusted you and you betrayed me in the worst way possible. I can't be with you again; even if you hadn't cheated on me, I was planning to break things off with you anyways."

"What?" Kat gestured angrily to Kim. "To be with her? We were happy Tommy and if it wasn't for her, we would still be together."

"Don't turn this on me," Kim said. "I didn't tell Tommy to have feelings for me and I definitely didn't tell you to cheat on him either; if you had doubts and suspicions about our friendship then you should've just talked to us. Neither one of us wanted to hurt you Kat, but you hurt yourself when you allowed your doubts to cloud your judgment. Don't make me your scapegoat for whatever pain you're feeling; you brought this on yourself the day you decided to hook up with Michael."

The entire group was silent after Kim spoke; each one of them was reflecting on what had been revealed and the future impact it would have on the friends.

"I never meant for it to happen," Kat said tearfully after being silent.

"But it did," Tanya said. "Why didn't you tell me? I gave you an opening when we talked and you still didn't say anything."

"So what now?" Kat asked as she looked at her friends.

"Kat, you lied," Aisha said. "You lied and you hurt Tommy, so, I think you should leave."

She saw the looks on their faces and gave a sad smile before nodding and turning to leave. When she got to the door, she was stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned around, and was slightly shocked to see Tanya there.

"I'll give you a ride home," Tanya said. Kat nodded, too shocked to speak and the two walked to the car. The drive to Kat's house was a silent one and Kat couldn't help but to realize that this was the first time there was an uncomfortable silence between her and Tanya. When Tanya pulled up in front of her house, she was about to get out when Tanya spoke.

"Despite the fact that you hurt Tommy," Tanya said. "And you betrayed our trust, you're still my friend; am I hurt that you kept this from me? Yes. But, I won't let go of my friendship with you; you lost my trust when you did this and you're going to have to work to get it back."

"I know," Kat wiped her tears. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"Just," Tanya sighed. "Just give the rest a breathing room; take the next few days to think about what you did."

"I will," Kat nodded. "Tanya? Thanks for still being my friend."

"I wasn't your friend because you were Tommy's girlfriend," Tanya said. "I was your friend because I wanted to be."

"I know," Kat said. "But thanks anyway; I should go."

"Ok," Tanya nodded and stepped back. "Bye Kat."

"Bye," Kat said as she opened and closed the door behind her. She walked up her drive and entered her house without looking back.

Sighing, Tanya started her car and drove back to Kim's house. When she got there, she noticed that everyone, except for Kim and Tommy, was still in the living room.

"Where's Kim and Tommy?" she asked as she took a seat next to Adam.

"After Kat left," Billy said. "Tommy walked out the room and headed outside; Kim was the only safe enough to go after him."

"Ok," Tanya sighed as she leaned against her boyfriend.

…

Kim let out a small sigh as she watched Tommy; she knew he was hurting from catching Kat once more and she wasn't sure how to help him. Letting out another sigh, she walked over to him. They were both silent for a few minutes before she turned to him.

"Tell me how I can help you," she said. He was quiet for so long that she wasn't sure he was going to answer her, but he did.

"You already are," he said as he turned to her. "Just by being here you're helping."

"Then I'll be here for as long as you want me," Kim said as she grabbed his hand in hers. All he did was nod and squeeze her hand.

The days turned into weeks and before they knew it, there was only two weeks left until Christmas. After Kat and Tommy's break-up, the first few days were the roughest. By the end of the week, the entire school knew of it and speculations were running when they noticed that Kat was spending time with Michael and barely any with her friends. True to her word, Tanya had still remained friends with her and shockingly Billy and Kim as well. The others had wanted to stay neutral, but they couldn't; only Andros, Zhane, Karone and Mitchell were truly neutral. Right now, Kat was sitting at a table in the back of the library. After things had gone so bad with Tommy, she had chose to be with Michael; a move that she was regretting.

Letting out a sigh, she rolled her sleeves down over her arms; Michael had gotten worse after her break up with Tommy. Her arms held bruises from where he had grabbed her too tightly after a date of theirs two nights ago. As she stared down at the book on the table, her vision became slightly blurry and she realized she was crying; _'This is my entire fault; why didn't I just talk to Tommy? Why did I go with Michael? I lost the relationship I wanted and am now in a relationship that I don't want. What am I going to do?' _

Her mind flashed back to an incident that happened just before Thanksgiving break;

_Flashback_

_Kat was walking down the hallway on her way to her locker; school was over a half hour ago, but she had to stay behind to talk with her dance teacher. She was just about to open her locker when her arm was grabbed_

"_What the hell?" she turned around, ready to yell at the person when she saw who it was. "Michael."_

"_What the hell are you doing?" Michael hissed at her._

"_What are you talking about?" Kat's brows furrowed as she looked at him. "I'm not doing anything besides putting my stuff away."_

"_I'm talking about what you're wearing?" Michael said. _

"_What about it?" Kat asked as she looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a pink one-shoulder top that stopped just a few centimeters above her bellybutton, and a jean skirt that fell about mid-thigh._

"_I thought I told you I didn't want you dressing like that?" Michael all but snarled._

"_Excuse me?" Kat raised an eyebrow. "We may be together, but you can't tell me what I can and cannot wear." _

_Michael's eyes shone with fury as he backhanded her. "I do what I want bitch; and if I tell you not to wear something, I expect you to listen. You'd do well to remember that." With a final glare, he walked away from her._

_Kat held back tears as she got up off the floor and gently touched her hand to her lip; she winced when she felt the cut and knew it would bruise._

"_Why am I allowing this to happen?" she asked herself. Tears flowing down her cheeks, she put her stuff away before turning to leave._

_End flashback_

Kat shook her head to rid herself of the memory, tears filling her eyes. She looked down at her arms and pulled her sleeve up enough to see the bruises. "This my entire fault; I shouldn't have done what I did."

She had no idea why she had decided to date Michael, but she regretted it more than anything; Michael had caught her in a weak moment and she had been too emotional to truly think about what she was doing. She had agreed to be with him and that's when things began change; Michael began to change, although now, she was wondering if he wasn't like that all the time. He had become abusive, both emotionally and physically. She hadn't told anybody about it…she couldn't tell anyone about it and Kat had never felt so alone in her life.

"Hi Kat," a voice above her spoke. She looked up and saw Kim standing there; the brunette's continued friendship with her had been shocking but she was grateful for it.

"Hi Kim," Kat gave a tentative smile as she pulled her sleeve back down. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," "Kim said. "I saw you sitting here and thought I would come and say hi; so how are you?"

"I'm holding on," Kat said. "I wish the others would talk to me, but I know it's my own fault; I just hope I get a second chance."

"Don't worry Kat," Kim reached out to grab her hand. "You will; everyone deserves a second chance and you made an honest mistake. After hearing your reasons, I have to admit that even I don't know what I would've done had I been in your shoes. But I have every confidence that the others will be your friends again."

"I wish I was as hopeful as you are," Kat smiled at her.

"Well then," Kim smiled at her. "It's a good thing I have enough hopefulness for both of us."

"True," Kat laughed. "I don't know if I ever said it, but I am thankful that you're my friend Kim…even after everything that happened, especially with the way I acted towards you; I can see why Tommy fell in love with you."

"Kat," Kim started but was stopped by a shake of the head from the blonde.

"I'm not angry," Kat said. "I'm not sure I ever was; I think it was more of me fighting the status quo, so to speak, than being angry. Looking back now, I can say I have never met two people more right for each other than you and Tommy."

"Thank you," Kim said. "But what about you? How are things going with Michael?"

"They're ok," Kat said. _'I can't tell her anything; I deserve this…it's my punishment for what I did to Tommy.'_

"Ok," Kim nodded. "You know you can talk to me about anything right?"

"I know," Kat replied. "And I'm glad for that."

"Ok," Kim smiled. "Just as long as you know; anyways, I should be going."

"Alright," Kat said. "I'll see you Kim."

"By Kat," Kim said as she moved to leave.

"Hey Kim?" Kat called after her.

"Yes?" Kim turned questioning eyes to her.

"Are you and Tommy together?" Kat asked; she hadn't really seen a change between them over the past few weeks, but she knew it meant nothing.

"No," Kim shook her head. "Not yet."

"Hmmm," Kat said. "Well, I'll let you go."

"Bye." Kim said as she turned and walked away.

…

After Kim left Kat, she headed to the gym where the others were. She spotted Tommy sitting on the bleacher while the others were playing basketball and headed towards him.

"Hey," he said when he saw her. "Where have you been?"

"Talking to a friend," Kim said as she sat down next to him. "How come you're not playing?"

"I didn't want you to sit up here by yourself," Tommy admitted with a smile. "I wanted to keep you company."

"You're sweet," Kim smiled as she leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Only for you," Tommy replied. The two were quiet as they watched their friends. After a few minutes, Tommy broke the silence. "How is she?"

"She says she's doing ok," Kim answered knowing who he was talking about. "But I can still sense something's off with her."

"What do you think it is?" Tommy turned to her; while he wasn't talking to Kat, he didn't really mind that Kim was. For Kim to be friends with the blonde after the way she was treated showed Tommy how amazing she was and made him fall even more in love with her, something he didn't think was possible.

"I don't know," Kim shook her head.

"Kim," Trini called as she spotted the brunette sitting on the stands; the others had just finished up their game and had turned to head to where Tommy was sitting when they saw her. "When did you get here?"

"Just a little bit ago," Kim answered. "Good game by the way."

"Thanks sis," Andros said as he took a seat just below her, resting his head on her knee.

"Christmas break is almost here," Kim said as she ran a hand through her brother's hair.

"I know," Aisha smiled. "And I can't wait."

"There's a Christmas sale going on at the mall this weekend," Tanya said. "It starts on Friday and ends on Sunday; which is perfect since school is closing Friday morning."

"Another afternoon at the mall," Curtis groaned.

"Afternoon?" Zack shook his head. "Remember, we know these girls so it will be the entire weekend."

"You bet your ass it will be," Ashley laughed.

"Oh man," Rocky said. "An entire weekend for shopping; why do you girls shop so much?"

"'Cause it's fun," Kim smiled. They were quiet after that, some of them talking softly with each other; Kim leaned against Tommy as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her into his body. Her brother's head still lay against her knee and she continued to run her hand through his hair. Their peace was interrupted by the gym doors opening. They turned as one and saw some kids from AG Primary School; between them were Justin and Nick.

The two spotted the group and turned to talk to their teacher; when they got the okay, they made their way from the rest of their classmates and headed towards the stands.

"Hey man," Tommy gave his brother a high-five while Justin sat next to his own brother.

"Hey Tommy," Nick said turning to the person next him. He moved around his brother until he was on the other side of Kim. "Hi Kim."

"Little Phoenix," Kim smiled. "What's up? What are you guys doing here?"

"We are on a class trip," Nick answered. "It's our last class for the day, so our teachers decided to bring us over here."

"Cool," Mitch said as he leaned back against the seat behind him.

"Kim, guess what?" Nick looked up at the girl; he truly liked her because she was different from the rest of his brother's friends. He could tell his brother really liked her, so he couldn't understand why they weren't together; especially since he was no longer dating Kat.

"What phoenix?" Kim asked with a smile on her face.

"My teacher said that my music improved a lot," Nick told her excitement flowing through his voice.

"Little phoenix that's great," Kim leaned away from Tommy for a second to wrap Nick in a hug. "I am so proud of you."

"Me too little man," Tommy said.

"Thanks," Nick smiled at his brother before looking back at Kim. "But I had a really good teacher."

"Thanks little phoenix," Kim smiled.

"Ok," Aisha smiled at her friend. "That's it; why do you keep calling him Little Phoenix?"

"Should I?" Kim laughed as she looked at Nick.

"Yeah," Nick smiled before shrugging. "Why not?"

"Ok," Kim nodded. "You guys know how Nick went through foster homes before being adopted by the Oliver's?"

"Yeah," Trini nodded.

"Well," Kim said. "That's the reason why I call him that."

"Explain," Cassie said.

"When Nick and I first started talking," Kim said. "He was a little reluctant to tell me about his life before being adopted by the Oliver's; every time we talked though, that reluctance went away little by little until I knew everything. I call him Little Phoenix because to me, he is like a phoenix; phoenixes are birds that die but are reborn from their own ashes and are stronger with each rebirth, that's how I saw Nick. Every time he was moved to a new foster, it was like he was being reborn each time, becoming stronger. When he met the Oliver's, it was his final rebirth and he was the strongest he ever was because he accepted them as his family and vice versa."

"Wow," Karone looked at her sister in amazement.

"I never saw it like that," Jason shook his head.

"I don't think any of us," Zack said. "But then again, none of us knew that much about Nick's past before Tommy's parents adopted him."

"He's right," Billy said. "But because Kimberly has, she was able to make the comparison and hearing the story, I must admit that it suits him…he is like a phoenix."

Nick narrowed his eyes at the group. "No one calls me that but Kim."

"You know," Adam shook his head. "If I didn't know you and Tommy were adopted, I'd swear you were truly brothers; Tommy looks exactly like that when he's angry or irritated."

"I learned from him," Nick smirked.

"Yep," Rocky nodded. "They really are brothers." The friends had a laugh at that. They talked for awhile and soon it was time to go home. Justin and Nick had convinced the teacher to allow them to go home with their older brothers and had waved goodbye to the teacher before following the friends. After going to their lockers, the friends left the school, smiles on their faces as they headed to their cars. As Kim got into hers, she looked up and saw Kat standing by the door; she waved to the blonde, smiling when she waved back before closing her door behind. The cars pulled out of the school parking lot, heading to the youth center to hang out.

About two hours later, Kim pulled into her driveway. She and the others got out, heading to the house.

"Just four more days," Karone sighed. "Four more days and then we're on break."

"Thank God for that," Zhane said. "I can't wait."

"Neither can I," Andros said. The four was about to head upstairs when the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Kim said before she walked over to the phone in the living room. "Hello?"

"_Kimberly?" a voice asked._

"Hayley!" Kim smiled as she recognized her friend's voice. "Oh my God, how are you?"

"_I'm ok," Hayley smiled. "My parents just came back from a business trip and I'm finishing up on some work. How's everything going for you so far?"_

"Everything's going good," Kim said as she sat down on the couch, making herself comfortable. "Friday is the last day of school before Christmas break and I'm excited for that to happen."

"_What high school student isn't?" Hayley asked as she made herself comfortable._

"I know," Kim laughed. "If they were excited over Thanksgiving break, I don't why I am surprised they'd be excited for Christmas."

"_You know those Halloween pictures you sent to me?" Hayley asked._

"Yeah," Kim said. "What about them?"

"_They actually made their way inside our school's newspaper," Hayley said._

"No way," Kim's eyes were wide as she heard that. "But we don't even go to your school."

"_I know," Hayley said. "But I had one of yours in my locker and it was seen by one of the students that worked on the school paper and they asked to use it; to show how other high school students dressed up for Halloween. Needless to say, Lunar Bay High was very amazed with them. You and Tommy won best costume."_

"Wow," Kim shook her head. "Amazing."

"_Guess what?" Hayley said._

"What?"

"_I may be able to come visit you sometime soon," Hayley said. "My family's moving, which means I'm changing schools, and the place where we're moving to is close to where you live."_

"Seriously?" Kim asked. "You're not yanking my chain or anything like that?"

"_No," Hayley laughed. "I'm being truly serious."_

"Hayles," Kim squealed. "That's awesome; I can't wait to see you again."

"_Same here Kim," Hayley smiled. "I miss you and I am so looking forward to this trip."_

"I miss you too," Kim smiled. "This is going to be so much fun; I so can't wait until you get a chance to come see me. Hey Hayles, sorry to cut this short, but I've got to go. I'll call you sometime this week."

"_Alright Kim," Hayley said. "It was good talking to you. I really do miss you Kim."_

"Same here Hayles," Kim said. "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"_Bye." Hayley said before she hung up._

Kim hung up the phone with a smile on her face. She had missed her friend a lot and was beyond ecstatic that she would see her soon. Smile still on her face, she went up to her room. She passed her sister's room and went into hers; throwing her bag on her bed, she headed to her balcony. She collapsed into the chair, stretching out to lie down. As she laid there, her thoughts drifted over Kat; she was worried about the blonde because she sensed that something was wrong with her and whatever it was had to do with Michael. She wanted to help, but she didn't know what exactly she would be helping with and if there was something, Kat would have to tell her. She just hoped that when the blonde did decide, it wasn't too late.

* * *

**A/N 2: **Kat and Tommy are done and I know that Kim and Tommy were supposed to get together…but don't worry, they will.

**A/N 3: **I'm not sure if the friends' reactions were good enough; that's all I could get. Nothing much else to say; you know what to do…

* * *

_Teaser:_

"_Who is that?" Zack asked, his eyes drawn to a redhead standing in front of the door._

…

"_They said back at the gym I'd find you here," Kim said as she walked over to Tommy._


	10. Ch 8: Bittersweet

**A/N: **it's been almost a month, but the new chapter is here. You guys should like it (I hope *smiles*) as two major things happen

**A/N 2: **I will say this; Michael is in character from HBC.

**Valepinkcrane: **I'm sorry, but I already have Billy and Hayley paired off with someone else.

**Falcon4crane: **you will love the T/K scene…it's my fave as well; and also, I'm sure you'll smile when you read about Hayley's family.

**Warnings: **some swearing and scene not for kids under sixteen (coming on to the end)

**Disclaimer: **see previous chapters.

**O.P.D.: **Sunday 6th June, '10.

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

_Kim hung up the phone with a smile on her face. She had missed her friend a lot and was beyond ecstatic that she would see her soon. Smile still on her face, she went up to her room. She passed her sister's room and went into hers; throwing her bag on her bed, she headed to her balcony. She collapsed into the chair, stretching out to lie down. As she laid there, her thoughts drifted over Kat; she was worried about the blonde because she sensed that something was wrong with her and whatever it was had to do with Michael. She wanted to help, but she didn't know what exactly she would be helping with and if there was something, Kat would have to tell her. She just hoped that when the blonde did decide, it wasn't too late._

* * *

The rest of the week passed without too much incident; it was now Friday and the students were excited because it was their last day of class before Christmas break. Since they would only have a half day, the teachers had given the students the morning free from work; they could either stay in their respective homerooms or go somewhere else as long as they didn't make too much of a ruckus; as it seemed to be the norm, the seniors and juniors ended together with the occasional sophomores (Ashley, Curtis, TJ, Karone, Cassie) mixed in between. The friends had decided to go to the gym, which was what they usually did when they had no classes. Kim had to talk with one of her teachers, so she had told the others she would meet them at the gym and Billy was helping his science teacher and had said he would meet up with them later.

"Thanks Mrs. Clemens," Kim said as she walked to the door of the classroom.

"No problem Kimberly," Mrs. Clemens smiled at her student. "Have a good break."

"I will," Kim smiled. "And you too; don't work too hard."

"God I hope not," Mrs. Clemens laughed. "Bye Kimberly."

"Bye," Kim waved before she walked out of the classroom. She started down the hallway, turning a few feet away to go down the stairs to her lockers. When she got to the bottom, she saw Billy. "Hey Billy."

"Kimberly," Billy turned to his friend. "I take it you're finished talking with your teacher?"

"Yes," Kim nodded. "What about you? Are you done with helping Mr. Benson?"

"I am," Billy said. "It wasn't that much he needed help with. So, time to meet the others?"

"Yeah," Kim said and the two turned to walk. They stopped at their lockers before heading down to the gym. As they were walking, Kim's mind went over the past few days and her observations of Kat; she decided to share them with Billy as she knew that he talked to her as well. "Hey Billy?"

"Yes Kim?" Billy raised an eyebrow towards her.

"Have you talked to Kat at all this week?" Kim asked.

"I did," Billy said. "But it seemed as if there was something wrong; like she was hiding something."

"You noticed that too?" Kim let out a sigh of relief. "I've been trying to get her to talk to me, but she won't open up."

"That's not the only thing I've noticed," Billy said.

"What else?" Kim asked.

"She changed her wardrobe," Billy said. "I realized it just a few weeks ago after Thanksgiving; she doesn't wear anything that shows too much of her body."

"I did notice that actually," Kim said. "She used to wear shorts and tank tops, but now she wears long jeans or shirts that have long sleeves on them. Something's going on Billy; I'm worried about her." And she truly was; she was also concerned about the relationship that she had with Michael.

"Do you think that Michael had something to do with Kat's change in wardrobe?" Billy asked.

"I do," Kim nodded. "Which is why I'm so worried."

"What are we going to do?" Billy asked; like Kim, he too was worried about Kat. To him, it seemed like ever since she started going out with Michael, she changed; and the change only became more pronounced after Thanksgiving, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"I think it's time the others grew up," Kim said. "If what we're getting at is true, then Kat is going to need her friends."

"You're right," Billy said. "But do you think they'll listen? They are pretty stubborn."

"My brother, sister and Zhane will be on my side," Kim said. "And Tommy is already showing signs that he forgave her; the others need to realize that Kat was their friend before she became Tommy's girlfriend and they shouldn't have chosen sides. I can only imagine what they would've done if our positions were reversed."

"How do you mean?" Billy asked.

"I mean," Kim said. "What if I was the one that was dating Tommy and then I did something that caused things to end between us? Would they have stayed being my friends or would they have cut all ties with me?"

"That is something to think about," Billy said. "I'd like to think I'd still be your friend."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kim smiled at him as she opened the doors to the gym. She spotted her friends on the stands and directed Billy to them; the two of them walked over to them, Kim taking the seat next to Tommy and Billy taking the one next to Zack.

"Where were you guys?" Karone asked.

"We need to talk to you," Kim said; she made a motion for the others to come closer and when they did, she continued. "Have you guys noticed anything weird about Kat for the past few weeks?"

"Should we have?" Rocky asked.

"Thank God," Tanya breathed.

"T?" Adam turned to his girlfriend.

"I thought I was the only one," Tanya said. "I couldn't bring it up to you guys and I wasn't sure if you saw it or not Kim."

"I did," Kim nodded. "And so did Billy; we were talking about it as we walked here."

"I think maybe you guys are worrying about nothing," Adam said.

"Look," Kim turned to glare at him before looking around at the others. "I understand she hurt Tommy when she chose to cheat on him, but she made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes; are you seriously going to keep punishing her for it? She's already punished herself and I think that that's enough. You guys need to grow up and get over this; Kat was your friend before she dated Tommy and this is how you repay her?"

"She lied to us," Rocky said.

"Have you never done something in your life that was horrible, but you were forgiven for it?" Kim asked. "And what if it was you in her shoes? What if you made a mistake like that or close? You would want us to forgive you, wouldn't you? Kat's only human, and if you guys would stop being so stubborn, you'd see what Tanya, Billy and I are talking about."

"She's right," Tommy said, much to the surprise of the others with the exception of Kim. "Kat was our friend and yes she lied and cheated on me, but it was a mistake. Kim already explained everything and you know what? I forgave her for what happened. I maybe dense at times, but even I saw what their talking about. Something is seriously wrong with Kat's relationship with Michael." When he saw they still looked a little skeptical, he spoke again. "If I could forgive Kat, seeing as how I was the one she cheated on, then why can't you?"

The others were quiet as they thought on what Tommy and Kim had just said; they knew they were a little unreasonable with how they treated the blonde, but they had thought it was the right way for them to act.

"So, what's going on?" Aisha asked.

"I think," Tanya said. "And Billy, Kim and apparently Tommy, agree with me, that there is something more to Kat and Michael's relationship. Haven't you guys noticed the little things? Like how she suddenly changed her dress code, or how she rarely leaves his sight or how about the fact that she doesn't seem to want to go anywhere without looking to him for confirmation."

"She's dressing like how she did when she first moved here," Trini said. "Like she's shy about everyone and everything."

"You guys," Kim said softly. "Something is not right."

"What do we do?" Andros asked; he trusted his sister and more often than not, her instincts were usually right…point in case, Alan.

"The only thing we can do," Tanya sighed. "Observe."

The friends were quiet from then on. Occasionally one of them would start a conversation, but then it would drift off back into a comfortable silence. They spent the rest of the morning in the gym and before they knew it, it was time to go home. Karone and the others went up to their lockers while the rest headed to theirs. Since Kim and Billy had already been to their lockers, they leaned against the rest while their friends went through theirs. Leaning against the lockers, Kim looked over at Billy; he seemed to be in deep thought about something and she was sure she knew what it was. Kat wasn't the only one she had observed; she had watched him too and saw something in him, something she wasn't sure he was aware, but today had confirmed that he was aware of it…she only needed to make sure. She got her opportunity when she saw Kat down the hall standing next to Michael.

"Look," Zhane nodded his head to where the blonde was and the others turned to watch her.

The friends watched as the blonde kept her head bowed, her gaze meeting no one's; they could see the way her body slumped forward slightly and the way she tugged nervously on the bottom of her shirt. Her entire body language seemed off and just looking at her, the others saw what Kim and the others were talking about; Kat had changed and it wasn't something good.

As if feeling their gaze on her, Kat looked up; her eyes widened slightly, drifting along each of them until they came to a stop on Kim. The sadness in them was present for them all to see and it hurt Kim to know there wasn't anything she could do to help her at that moment. Kim could see the cry for help in her friend's eyes and a determination showed in hers. As if she drew strength from it, Kat's expression softened slightly before her eyes drifted past her to Billy's and a hint of longing showed in them before she blanked her expression over, dropping her gaze from them and turning to look back at Michael.

Kim turned from looking at Kat to look at Billy and she saw the same longing in his eyes; unlike Kat however, he couldn't hide it. She lowered her voice as she spoke to him.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Billy turned wide and surprised eyes to her, it was on the tip of his tongue to deny her words, but at the last minute, he decided not to. With an air of defeat, he dropped his eyes to the floor and let out a sad sigh. "Yeah I am; I don't know when my feelings for her changed from that of a friend to more, but all I know is that they did change and it's killing me to see her like she is."

"Don't worry Billy," Kim said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everything will work out perfectly, you'll see; but first, we have to figure out how to get Kat away from him."

"How are we going to do that?" Tommy asked as he closed his locker.

"I'm not sure yet," Kim sighed. "But I know we'll think of something…we have to."

"Come on guys," Tanya said. "Let's go."

Throwing one last look at Kat, the friends made their way to the front doors, where they met up with Karone and the others before making their way out to the parking lot.

…

Kat sighed as she watched her friends leave; she knew that they knew something was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything about what was going on with Michael. When Kim had looked into her eyes for the moment, she had dropped her guard enough for her to see her cry for help and when she the determination in her eyes, Kat had felt a relief go through her. When her eyes had locked gazes with Billy, she had seen the longing and love directed at her and it made her heart soar for a split second before she remembered that nothing could happen between them because she was with Michael…and she wasn't sure she had the strength to break herself away from him.

"Are you ready to go?" Michael's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Sure Michael," she answered and held back a sigh when he threw an arm around her shoulders to pull her body close to his. She truly regretted starting anything with him and wished she could turn back the hands of time, but she couldn't; all she could do was try and make the most out of the situation. She missed her friends more than anything and she wanted to be free from Michael, but she didn't know how to make either one of them.

Kat let out a forlorn sigh as she walked at Michael's side. _'I just want to be free.'_ And that day would come soon, but it would be a day that will be both sorrowful and joyous for her and everyone involved.

…

It was now Monday, the first day of the first week of their vacation and the teens were making the most of it; they had spent the weekend at the Hart household, having decided on having another sleepover. Today, they were going to split the day between Ernie's and the park.

A little after ten, they walked into the youth center, waving to Ernie before heading over to their regular table. As always, Kim headed to the bar, but this time, instead of Andros following her, it was Tommy. Realizing that, the others turned to Andros.

"I trust him," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. "I know he cares about her and he won't let her get hurt."

"Never thought I'd see the day," Karone mused.

"Just because I did it today," Andros said. "Doesn't mean I'm going to stop; she's still my younger twin and I will always watch out for her." To prove his words, he shifted his seat so that he was closer to Kim than then others and that he could see her while still seeing the others.

"That's more like it," Zhane nodded with a smile when he saw what Andros did.

"Shut up," Andros laughed as did the others. He looked up when he felt his sister's gaze on him and smiled when he saw the question in her eyes. He looked over at Tommy and then back at her before smiling even more, nodding when he saw the realization dawn in her eyes and the small smile that she sent to him.

The friends settled down, and talked to each other quietly, occasionally looking over at Tommy and Kim; the friends could see the chemistry and love between the two and they were confused as to why the two weren't a couple as yet.

"When are they going to get together?" Ashley muttered. "I mean, it's not like he's in a relationship anymore."

"I know, right?" Aisha laughed. "Tri and I asked Kim the same thing, but all she does is shake her head, smile and say 'don't worry, it'll happen'".

"It frustrates me," Trini sighed. "All of us know that they belong together, even they know it...so what the hell are they waiting for?"

"Only they know," Adam said.

Zack shook his head as he listened to his friends; he, just as much as them, wanted Kim and Tommy together, but he knew it wouldn't happen just because it was what _they _wanted. It would happen when Kim and Tommy was ready for it to happen. He was going to say something, when someone at the entrance caught his attention. _'Whoa…she's very pretty.'_

"Who is that?" Zack asked, his eyes drawn to a redhead standing in front of the door.

The others turned to look to where he was watching and saw a girl standing there; she was about their age, and had dark, red hair that fell to just below her shoulders.

"She's new," Aisha said as she looked over the girl. "I wonder where she's from."

Recognition lit up Andros, Karone and Zhane's eyes as they stared at the girl, but before they could answer, Kim's voice sounded with the shout of a name and all they say was a blur as she rushed past them.

…

Kim was getting ready to go on the beam when she noticed that it was Tommy and not her brother sitting next to it. She looked up at her friends, her gaze landing on her brother. When he looked at her, she looked at him with a question in her eyes. When she saw his gaze shift to Tommy and back to her, she understood and smiled at him to show she got the message. As she turned back to the beam, she shook her head when she noticed that he had shifted and turned his chair closer to her. She went up on the beam, walked across it a few times before going back to the end; she did a jump, before twisting her body so that she was facing where she started from before doing two back handspring. She had just moved back to a standing position when Tommy talked.

"I didn't think Andros would leave you alone on the beam," he said.

"But I'm not alone," Kim smiled down at him. "You're here with me."

"True," Tommy nodded as he looked at her. "But still..."

"And Andy trusts you," Kim smiled at him. "He knows that you would never hurt me and you won't allow me to be hurt either."

"He's right." Tommy looked up at her, the love he felt shining through his eyes, causing Kim to smile even wider.

"I know," Kim nodded. "And I'm glad." He smiled at her once more and she went back to her routine.

Tommy relaxed back into his seat and watched with a smile on his face; he loved everything about her, especially the graceful way she moved when she was on the beam. It was like she let go of everything and lose herself into what she was doing…he was the same way with his martial arts.

Kim had just turned around to do a split when someone at the door caught her; she shifted to look closer and her eyes widened in surprise and delight when she saw who it was. Jumping off the beam, she passed a bewildered Tommy as she rushed to the person.

"Hayley!" she yelled the name as she passed her friends, running to the redhead at the door.

Hayley, when she heard her name, turned in that direction and smiled when she saw Kim running towards her. "Kimberly!" she moved from her position and met Kim halfway, the two colliding in a hug.

"Hayles," Kim gasped as she hugged her friend. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you I would visit you soon," Hayley chuckled as she tightened her hold for a split second before pulling back from the hug. "I missed you Kim."

"I missed you too Hayles," Kim smiled at her. "What's going on? Now that I mind, but why are you truly here?"

"Well," Hayley said as she looked at her. "How do you feel about seeing me every day?"

"What?" Kim let out a gasp of disbelief. "You mean…"

"Yep," Hayley nodded. "I live here now; my parents moved to Angel Grove this weekend and I start at the high school when term begins in January."

"I don't believe this," Kim squealed as she hugged her once more. "I am so happy I get to see you every day now."

"I know," Hayley laughed. "I'm excited too."

"Come on," Kim looked back at her friends before turning back to Hayley. "Come meet the others."

"Ok," Hayley smiled and allowed Kim to lead her to where the others were.

"Guys," Kim said as she came to a stop next to Tommy. "This is Hayley Ziktor; she's one of my best and closest friends. She just moved here from Lunar Bay. Hayley, this is Trini, Jason, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Tanya, Billy, Zack, Mitch, Cassie, TJ, Curtis, Ashley and Tommy."

"Hi," Hayley gave a small wave to them. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here," Tanya smiled.

"And," Kim continued. "I'm sure you remember Andy, Karone and Zhane."

"Nice to see you guys again," Hayley smiled at the three.

"Same here," Andros smiled. "It's a huge surprise to see you, but a welcome one. I'm glad you're coming to school with us."

"So am I," Karone said.

"Me too," Hayley said. "I'm glad my parents chose Angel Grove because not only do I get to see you guys and my best friend, I also get to see my uncle."

"Your uncle?" Jason asked. "Who's your uncle?"

"Hey guys," Ernie's voice sounded behind them. When they turned around, he saw who was with them, and his eyes lit up. "Hayley?"

"Hi Uncle Ernie," Hayley laughed as she moved to give him a hug, the others watching in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Ernie asked when the hug ended.

"We live here now," Hayley told him. "Mom and dad moved us here over the weekend."

"Dulcea actually left Lunar Bay?" Ernie chuckled; Dulcea was his younger sister and she had moved to Lunar Bay when she was twenty, where she met her future husband. They fell completely in love, and two years later, they got married; a year after that, she gave birth to Hayley.

"Yeah," Hayley giggled. "She said it was time she came back home and she wanted me to experience the town she grew up in and the school she went to."

"Well I'm glad she did," Ernie smiled. "It'll be nice having you here."

"I know," Hayley said. "And it's even better because I get to be with my friends."

"I have to get back to work," Ernie smiled. "So I'll let you go; tell your mother to come see me."

"I will Uncle Ernie," Hayley said.

"Alright," Ernie turned to go back. "See you guys later."

"Bye Ernie," Hayley and the others said as one. When he was gone, she turned back to the others, who were looking at her in shock.

"Ernie is your uncle?" Mitch asked.

"Yes," Hayley nodded. "He's my mom's older brother."

"What a small world," Adam shook his head.

"True," Tanya agreed with her boyfriend.

"So," Aisha said as the group started walking back to the tables. "How do you know Kim? I mean, you guys lived in different towns, right?"

"We did," Hayley nodded. "Kim and I met at a camp; it was the summer before freshman year and we had both attended Camp Eltar, which is a camp that was between Lunar Bay and Bayside. Kim was there for gymnastics and I was there because my parents wanted me to be with kids my own age; they hoped that without the pressures of school, I would be able to open up and actually make friends."

"Why do you say that?" Zack asked; when Hayley turned to smile at him, he fought the blush that tried to come up on his cheeks.

"I was basically a genius," Hayley laughed slightly. "And the way I talked was very difficult to understand by everyone else; because of that, most kids were intimidated by me and it was hard to make friends. My parents wanted that to change, so they thought that going to a camp would help…and it did."

"Because she met me," Kim smiled.

"How did you two meet?" Trini asked.

"Well," Kim started as she leaned back in her seat, resting her head on Tommy's arm that was on her chair. "The first day of camp, I saw her, but I didn't really pay attention because I was going through my own thing; it was the first time Andros and I had ever been apart and it was hard on both us."

"That was the first time Andros yelled at our parents," Karone smiled as she looked over at her brother. "He didn't like the fact that he would be away from his twin for so long."

"She was my twin," Andros shrugged. "And like Kim said, we'd never really been apart before."

"Anyways," Kim continued. "That first day, I stayed out of everyone's way and I would spend the next two days basically by myself. On the fourth day, I had decided to go down to the lake, which was where I had gone the last two days, and I saw Hayley sitting there."

"At first she was angry," Hayley laughed. "And in my introverted mind, she was so scary; she started yelling about how it was her spot because she wanted to be by herself and I told her that was why I had decided to go down there."

"After that," Kim smiled. "I calmed down and we started talking and from that day on—

"We've been friends," Hayley finished. "We exchanged numbers that summer and every summer after that, we met up at camp."

"Over the years, we'd visit each other," Kim picked up. "That's how she knows Andy and the others."

When she was done, she turned to Hayley. "What about Al?"

"Oh, he came to," Hayley said. "Dad was able to help him get a job here and he's surprisingly happy with it; it's part time, so he can still go to school."

"Who's Al?" Zack asked; though he just met her, he found himself intrigued by the red head and wanting to get to know more about her.

"He's my older brother," Hayley said. "His real name is Hayden, but we call him Alpha."

"Alpha?" the group turned confused eyes towards her.

"What kind of name is that?" Mitch asked. "No offense."

"None taken," Hayley smiled. "Al is even more of a genius than I am; when it comes to computers or anything technology related, he's beyond good at it. There was this show on television when we were kids and on it was this character; he was a robot that was called Alpha and he was very smart. Anything that was done with computers, he did it.

"My brother loved the show, but he loved the robot even more and he started copying him; he would try to break apart his minicomputer just so he could put it back together like Alpha did, bear in mind he was about five and I was three. He got so into the show, that my dad started calling him Alpha as a joke and it stuck."

"That's so cool," Trini smiled.

"I still can't believe you moved here," Kim said. "I mean, I talked to you last week and you didn't say anything."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Hayley said. "And it was which made it so much better."

"It did," Kim smiled.

After that, the rest of the day was spent with Hayley getting to know the others and showing her around town. Kim hadn't forgotten about Kat, but she had no idea how to help the blonde…neither did the others.

Three days later, the friends were once again at the youth center, all except for Kim and Tommy; Kim had stayed back to help a neighbor and had told Andros and the others she would meet up with them at the juice bar.

It was a little after twelve when she got there and she saw her friends and siblings; she walked over to them and noticed that Tommy wasn't there.

"Hey guys," she smiled when reached them; Trini, Tanya, Mitch, Zhane and Billy were sitting at the table while the others were on the mat, the machines and the ropes.

"Hey Kim," Trini looked up at her friend. "'Bout time you got here."

"Sorry," Kim laughed; she looked around and her eyebrow rose when she saw Zack and Hayley talking and laughing a few tables away. "Is it me, or is there something happening between those two?"

The others looked to where she was pointing and they couldn't help but to smile.

"It's not just you," Mitch said. "Jase noticed it the day she got her; he said he'd never seen Zack act the way he did around her."

"I think they'd make a cute couple," Tanya said.

"As do I," Billy nodded; though he couldn't help but to feel slightly jealous. '_Everyone is finding the person they want to be with…except for me.' _His thoughts shifted to Kat, and he couldn't help the sigh that escaped him. _'I don't know when it happened, but I developed feelings for her…I may even come to love her and I can't even be with her. It's not fair.'_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts before focusing back on his friends.

"Have you guys seen Tommy?" Kim asked.

"He's in the park," Billy answered. "He wanted to be outside for a while."

"Alright," Kim nodded; she looked around once more, before turning back to them. "I'll be back."

"Good luck," Trini smiled. "Though I suspect you don't need it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kim laughed as she turned to leave.

"It's about time," Billy smiled as he watched her go; despite his forlorn feelings, he couldn't help but to be happy for Kim. The group had been waiting for this day for a while and he was truly happy for her…for the both of them.

"True," Zhane said. "And you know what? If the day ends and those aren't together, I'm going to lock them in a room until they are."

"I'll help," Trini said and the others laughed.

…

Kim left the youth center and headed in the direction of the park; a smile came on her face as she remembered Trini's words. She knew her friends were all waiting for the day that she and Tommy would get together and truth be told, so was she. She had wanted to be with him from the moment she spotted him in the park and when she got to know him better, she knew then he was the one for her…and it was time it was made a reality.

She walked a bit more and paused a bit when she finally saw him; he was standing on a rock, a few feet from the lake, practicing some katas. She kept walking and when she got close enough for him to hear her, she spoke.

"They said back at the gym I'd find you here."

When he heard her voice, Tommy stopped his movements and jumped down from the rock to walk towards her with a smile on his face. He knew she was curious as to why he was doing katas outside and not in the gym, so he answered her.

"I like practicing outside sometimes," he smiled down at her. "You know…smell the fresh air."

"Understandable," Kim murmured. "I'm the same with my gymnastics sometimes as well."

The two were quiet as they looked into each other's eyes, searching and finding what they were looking for as their bodies unconsciously moved closer to each other.

"I've missed you," Kim said softly. To anyone else, they would be confused by her words as the two have spent so much time together, but Tommy understood.

He knew what she meant; despite the fact that they had spent time together, it was never just for the two of them alone. They were always surrounded by their friends, not that either of them minded, but they used to enjoy the time that they had where it was just the two of them; even if all they did was talk, it was perfect and enough for them.

Tommy said nothing, instead, he reached out and grabbed her hand in his, swaying them slightly. He looked down at them before looking up into her eyes and slowly leaned forward as if to give her the chance to escape.

She didn't; instead, Kim smiled up at him, her eyes conveying the message her lips wouldn't say for fear of breaking the moment; _I'm not going anywhere._

His eyes lit up as he read the message in hers and he conveyed his own message; _good; _before he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a soft, sensual kiss. His arms slipped around her waist while hers moved to slip around his neck. It was their first kiss and it was perfect. They pulled back after a few minutes to catch their breath, their forehead resting against each other.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he smiled down at her.

"Me too," Kim smiled in return.

"So then," Tommy continued. "Now that that's over with, I guess my next question should be a piece of cake."

"What's that?" Kim asked.

"Kimberly," he spoke, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. "Will you be my date to Ernie's Christmas party next week?"

Kim pulled out of his arms and turned around a smile on her face; she was beyond happy that Tommy finally asked her out as it was something she'd been waiting on, but she couldn't help but to tease him a little.

"Well?" Tommy asked and the nervousness that was in his voice was now transferred to his voice. "Kimberly?"

Kim held in her laugh as she heard the tone in his voice; she knew she was being slightly cruel, but she truly couldn't help it. She kept her back to him for a few seconds before turning around, her smile lighting up her face.

"I just didn't want to make it too easy for you," Kim giggled. "Of course I'll be your date Tommy."

"Oh you," he laughed as he pulled her into his arms before lifting her in the air and spinning her around.

"Tommy!" Kim's voice rang out with a peal of laughter.

Tommy spun her around a few more times before setting her back down on her feet. They looked at each other, laughter still in their voices and faces.

"What does this mean Tommy?" Kim asked as she got her laughter under control; she didn't know why she even asked because her heart already knew the answer, but a part of her still needed to hear him say the words.

Tommy smiled as if he knew that…and he did. "Are you asking me if I'm your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, I guess I am," Kim said. "Are you?"

"I guess I am," he smiled before he kissed her once more. "I love you Kim."

"I love you too," she said before giggling. "I'm so glad we're finally together."

"So am I," Tommy said before grabbing one of her hands in his. "Come on; I'm hungry…let's go get something to eat."

"Ok," Kim smiled at him before the two turned to walk back to the youth center.

The walk was quiet and filled with a comfortable silence, they stopped a few times to kiss, but they eventually got to juice bar. They walked in, still holding hands and went over to their friends. Kim noticed that the others had joined the table and she smiled when she saw that Zack and Hayley were sitting close together. They walked up to their friends, but before they could say anything, Trini did.

"Oh my God!" she started squealing, drawing the attention of the other occupants in the youth center and confusion from her friends. "I don't believe this!"

"Tri?" Jason looked at his girlfriend.

"Seriously?" Trini ignored him as she continued squealing. She got up from her seats and moved to hug Kim, by then Aisha, Karone and Andros had caught on.

"No way!" Aisha and Karone breathed.

"It's about time," Andros nodded. "Tommy, I suppose I don't have to warn you."

"No," Tommy chuckled as Aisha and Karone moved to hug Kim as well. "You don't have to warn me."

"Wait," Rocky held up his hands. "If I'm guessing right from Andros' words, Tommy, are you and Kim together? As in, you're now a couple?"

"You guessed right," Tommy said as he pulled Kim towards him when Trini and the other girls let her go, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Finally!" the rest of the group exclaimed.

"Glad to see how all of you have such a stake in our relationship," Kim said dryly, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Did you really expect any different?" Mitch asked.

"No," Kim shook her head.

"I'm happy for you Kim," Cassie smiled.

"Thanks," Kim said before she moved to a chair. She was about to sit in it, when Tommy sat down before her and pulled her into his lap. She leaned back to kiss him on his cheek, before turning back to their friends, a serious expression on her face. "Ok; guys, Christmas is next week, so we have to plan and plan fast."

"Plan what?" TJ asked.

"How we're going to get Kat to leave Michael," Tommy said.

…

It was now the weekend and the friends still had no idea how they were going to help Kat. They had seen the blonde a few times, but she was almost always with Michael, so they didn't have a chance to talk to her. But they didn't give up.

Kat, for her part, could see what her friends were doing and it filled her with a bittersweet sensation; bitter, because she wasn't sure that Michael would ever let her go and sweet because it told her that all of her friends, not just Kim, Tanya and Billy, still cared about her. She truly wanted to be free from him and though she had no idea how it was going to happen, the hope that had reawakened in her at her friends' action refused to die.

Letting out a sigh, Kat got ready for her date with Michael. She pulled out a knee length jean skirt with a pink elbow length top; putting them on, she left her bedroom.

"Hi honey," her mother said when she walked downstairs.

"Hi mom," Kat forced a smile on her face. "I'm going out with Michael; we're going to see a movie."

"Kat," her mother sighed.

"I know mom," Kat shook her head; her mother didn't like Michael and she made her opinion known every time the two were to go out. "He's my boyfriend, and you're going to have to accept that sooner or later."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," her mother said.

"I love you too mom," Kat's smile was genuine this time. She hugged her mother before leaving. When she got outside, she saw Michael's car and held back a sigh.

Hurrying down the walk, she went over to his car and got in.

"What the hell took you so long?" he asked as soon as she closed the door.

"I was talking to my mother Michael," Kat said. "I didn't mean to make you wait…I didn't even know you were out here."

"Excuse me?" he turned her, an angry look on his face; he wanted to hit her, but her mother could be looking out the window, so he didn't. "Next time Kat, don't make me wait."

"I'm sorry," Kat bowed her head; she was thankful they were still in her driveway as it saved her from being hit. She couldn't believe how she stupid she was to say that to him. _'What the hell am I thinking? Am I trying to piss him off? Thank God we haven't left yet.' _

"You should be," he hissed before he started the car and pulled out of the drive. The ride to the movies was quiet, with Kat staring out her window the entire time. She could tell he was still angry about her comment earlier and she was dreading being alone with him; she knew the only reason he hadn't tried anything yet was because he was driving and he didn't want to get in an accident or attract attention to them.

They pulled into the parking lot moments later and Kat stepped out of the car before Michael could, that was in vain however when he got around to her side and grabbed her arm in a harsh grip.

"Let's go," he said as he all but dragged her along with him. They got in line for tickets, before going over to the candy counter.

"Stay here," Michael said as he gave her the food to hold. "I'm going to go to the bathroom and I don't want you talking to anyone while I'm gone, understand?"

"Yes Michael," Kat said. When he left, she walked over to one of the benches and sat down. With a sigh, she dropped her head, her gaze focusing on the ground below. _'What am I going to do? I can't go on like this.' _

"Hey Kat," a voice jerked her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw a fellow classmate standing there.

"Hi Josh," she said as she looked around; she didn't want Michael to come back and see her talking to him because it would only cause problems for both of them.

"Are you here with someone?" Josh asked as he looked down at her.

Saying nothing, Kat nodded her head; she really didn't want to talk to him, but it seemed as if Josh was determined to talk to her. She tried to tune him out, hoping that he would get the hint and leave her alone, but it wasn't working. Finally after what felt like forever, she heard him leave. She let out a sigh; thankful that Michael hadn't seen it…her thanks were in vain.

"I thought I told you I didn't want you talking to anyone?" she heard above her; she jerked her head and saw and enraged Michael standing there.

"Michael!" she moved placed the candy on the bench and flew to her feet. "I wasn't talking to him."

"Then what was he doing here Katherine?" Michael hissed the question at her, taking a step closer.

"He was the one that was talking," Kat said with a plea in her voice. _'Please, don't do this.'_

"He wouldn't have talked to you if you hadn't done something to make him," Michael said; he leaned over and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "Do you think I'm some kind of fool? I saw you Katherine."

"No Michael," Kat said. "Nothing like that happened."

"All afternoon you've been doing shit," Michael said. "Well no more."

With that, he turned to walk off, pulling her behind him. Kat kept quiet; she didn't even try to pull her arm away, knowing it would only make things worse. He pulled her out into an alley way next to the movie theatre. He slammed her against the wall, knocking the breath out of her.

"Michael please." Was all she got out before he backhanded her, knocking her to the ground. She looked up at him with wide and fearful eyes.

"You bitch," his voice was low and angry. "After everything I've done for you…"

Without warning, he started in on her; he pulled her to her feet before punching her. He threw her back to the ground and kicked her repeatedly in her stomach. Kat could do nothing except to try and curl up into a ball.

"Since you were acting like a slut," Michael said as he knelt down over her. "You will be treated like one."

"Michael no," Kat pleaded as she felt him tearing her shirt open. "Please don't…don't do this."

But her pleas fell on deaf ears as he ripped her bra before shoving her skirt above her waist and tearing off her panties. Realizing what he was about to do, Kat kicked out her legs at him.

"NO!" she yelled, hoping someone would hear her; she didn't stop trying to fight him off, but it wasn't working…he was stronger than her. She heard him unzipping his jeans and she renewed her fight even though she knew that she couldn't stop it from happening…he was going to rape her and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Shut up bitch!" Michael hissed as he shoved his underwear down. "This is payback." And with that, he shoved his way into her, tearing a scream from her throat. His thrusts were brutal in their force and tears leaked from Kat's eyes. She tried to keep fighting but the pain was too much and she eventually stopped; what felt like hours later, she heard him groan before he pulled out of her.

Kat rolled to her side and threw up, her tears mixing with the mess on the ground.

"Stupid bitch," Michael sneered as he looked down at her. He fixed his clothes before spitting on her. "Thought you could talk to me that way did you?" he kicked her in her stomach and all over her body.

"You actually thought I wanted you," Michael laughed as he looked at her. "I just wanted to hurt Tommy and you helped with that perfectly." He kicked her once more before walking out of the alley way.

Kat, despite the pain her body was in, tried to curl in on herself. She whimpered as she felt the bruises and closed her eyes. She cried as she repeated the words 'I'm sorry' over and over. She didn't hear the soft exclamation, but she heard footsteps and fearing that it was Michael, she whimpered and tried to shift away.

"No more please," she cried when she felt a hand on her arm. "Please don't hurt me again."

"Kat," a very soft and very feminine voice called her name. "It's me Kim."

_(Minutes earlier)_

Kim and Tommy had decided to have a date night for just the two of them. After they had gotten together as a couple, they hadn't really had a chance to be by themselves; the time was spent thinking of plans to help Kat away from Michael and they were always with the others, so tonight was a big thing for the two.

They had opted to go to the movies instead of being at Ernie's or just going to the park. They pulled into the parking lot, smiles on their faces, before exiting the car.

"I'm so glad we're finally have a date," Kim said. "We deserve it."

"That we do," Tommy smiled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder pulling her close to him. Kim didn't mind, in fact she snuggled even closer to him.

They walked in silence and had just passed the alleyway when Kim stopped.

"What is it?" Tommy looked down at his girlfriend; he still marveled at the fact that he was finally able to call her that.

"Did you hear that?" Kim asked even as she looked around.

"Hear what?" Tommy's brow furrowed.

"I heard a sound," Kim said as she moved from under his arm. "It sounded like crying."

She turned around and motioned Tommy to be quiet as she listened. She heard the sound again and walked back where they came from; as she passed the alleyway, she heard the crying even clearer and she turned into it.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she saw the body lying there.

"What is it?" Tommy asked as he walked over to her. "What the hell?"

Kim hurried over to the body, shocked when she recognized the blonde hair. She got closer and stifled a gasp when she saw that it really was Kat. She reached out a hand to touch her, but pulled it back when she heard her cry.

"No more please," Kat cried. "Please don't hurt me again."

Kim felt her heart break as she listened to the words. "Kat, it's me, Kim."

Kat slowly uncurled herself and turned her head to where her friend was. "Kimberly?"

Kim moved closer and turned Kat over. "Oh my God." The blonde's body was filled with bruises and by the way her clothes were, Kim knew that wasn't the worst of it…Kat had been raped.

Still moving slowly, she pulled her into her arms. "I won't hurt you Kat…you're safe."

"Safe." That was the only thing Kat said as her body sagged in relief and she gave into the darkness that had been hovering on the edge of her consciousness.

"Tommy," Kim turned to her boyfriend. "Go bring your jeep; we need to get her to the hospital."

Tommy wasted no time, only stopping long enough to shrug his jacket off to give it to Kim, before he hurried back to his jeep. Kim wrapped the jacket around Kat as best she could and waited for Tommy.

"Who did this Kat?" she whispered. "Who would hurt you like this?"

She looked down at her friend and tears fell from her eyes as she once again took in her bruised body. "I'm so sorry sweetie. Just hold on, we're going to get you help."

Tommy's jeep screeched to a halt in front of the alleyway and he jumped from the car and made his way towards them. He gently lifted Kat into his arms before placing her in the back seat; Kim followed, jumping in next to her instead of the front.

Tommy pulled out of the parking lot and hurried to the hospital.

"How is she?" he looked up in the rearview mirror.

"Still unconscious," Kim replied as she stroked her hair. "She's hurt so bad."

Tommy said as he increased his speed. He was about five blocks away from the hospital when he saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror. He groaned as he pulled his car to the side.

"Not now," Kim shook her head. "We need to get her to the hospital."

The cop walked up to the car. "Tommy?"

"Mr. Scott," Tommy sighed in relief when he saw that it was Jason's dad, Preston.

"Tommy," Preston said. "Do you know how fast you were going?"

"I know," Tommy nodded. "But it's an emergency."

"Mr. Scott, please," Kim spoke up from the backseat. "We need to get to the hospital."

"What's wrong?" Preston looked at her and saw the body lying next to her. "What the hell happened?"

"It's Kat," Kim said. "We found her in an alleyway at the movies; she really needs a doctor."

"Alright," Preston said before he ran back to the cruiser and got in. He started the car, sirens and everything, and pulled up next to Tommy. "Follow behind me."

"Ok," Tommy nodded. He pulled out after the car and they made it to the hospital in no time. They stopped in front of the emergency doors and Tommy quickly got out and moved to the passenger to get Kat.

"Let's go," Preston said as the three of them hurried inside. "I need some help here!"

His shouts called the attention to them and doctors rushed to their side when they saw the body in Tommy's arms; one of those doctors was Melissa Oliver, Tommy's mother.

"Tommy? Kimberly?" Melissa looked at the three of them as she rushed over. "What's going on?"

"It's Kat," Tommy said. "Kim and I found her tonight in an alleyway by the movie theatre."

"She's been beaten," Kim spoke up as they loaded Kat onto the gurney. "And I think she's been raped."

"Oh God," Melissa said as she looked down at the blonde. "Let's get her to an OR immediately."

The doctors and nurses rushed Kat through the double doors. Melissa stopped next to Tommy and Kim. "We'll take care of her…call her parents and let them know she's here."

"Ok," Kim nodded. "Just take care of her."

"We will sweetie," Melissa smiled at the two of them briefly before going through the doors.

"Guys," Preston turned to the two of them. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened tonight."

And so they did; when they were finished, Preston told them he would go to Kat's house to let her parents know and they nodded at him before sinking into the seats.

"We should call the others," Kim said. "They'll want to be here."

"They're all at the park," Tommy said. "I'll call."

"Alright," Kim nodded as she leaned back against the chair, her head resting on the wall.

Tommy pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jason's number; he picked up after three rings.

"_Hello?"_

"Jase," Tommy said. "It's me."

"_Hey bro," Jason smiled. "Why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be on a date with Kim?"_

"I should," Tommy sighed. "Listen, is everyone around you? I have something to tell you guys."

"_Yeah," Jason said, his brows slightly furrowed. "We're all here. What's up Tommy?"_

"It's about Kat," Tommy said. "Jase, she's in the hospital."

"_What?"_

_(With the others)_

"What?" Jason shouted into his phone. "Explain Tommy." He listened for a few minutes before he hung up

"What is it?" Trini asked.

"That was Tommy," Jason said as he moved to his feet.

"What did he say?" Zack asked.

"He and Kim are at the hospital," Jason said as he gathered his stuff.

"What for?" Andros asked as he stood up. "Is something wrong with my sister?"

"It's not them," Jason said. "It's Kat…something's happened to Kat."

"What?" By now, the others were already on their feet and moving to where their cars were parked.

"Tommy wouldn't tell me," Jason answered. "He said he didn't want to say it over the phone, but we got to get to the hospital."

"Well let's go," Adam said and the friends all rushed off, leaving a few people staring at them in confusion.

They quickly got into the cars and headed to the hospital. They arrived in less than twenty minutes and rushed through the doors, spotting Tommy and Kim sitting there.

"What's going on?" Aisha asked as they came to a stop in front of the two. "What happened to Kat?"

Kim told them what happened, drawing horror filled looks from them.

"Oh my God," Cassie whispered as her hand flew to her mouth.

"Is she ok?" Ashley asked.

"We don't know yet," Tommy said. "The doctors took her back just before we called you."

Seeing the seats weren't enough, Kim moved from her seat to Tommy's lap; she rested her head on his shoulder as his arm went around her waist.

"Do her parents know?" Jason asked he took a seat, pulling Trini into his lap.

"Your dad went to tell them," Tommy said.

"My dad?"

"He stopped us because I was speeding on my way here," Tommy said. "When he realized we had Kat, he told us to follow behind him and got us here in time."

"Do they have any idea who did it?" Hayley asked.

Before Kim or Tommy could answer, Hugh and Penelope came through the doors.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hillard," Tanya said as she moved to her feet.

"Tanya," Penny came to a stop in front of her. "Where's my baby?"

"She's still in the OR," Tommy answered. "We haven't heard anything since they took her back."

"Oh God," Penny's hand flew to her mouth and she leaned against her husband.

"What happened to her?" Hugh asked.

"Didn't Mr. Scott tell you?" Rocky asked.

"I didn't," Preston said as he walked up to the group. "I thought they'd rather hear everything from the doctors."

"Here you go," TJ said as he pushed a chair toward Kat's parents.

"Thank you," Hugh said before he guided Penny the chair.

The friends and the Hillards were mostly quiet as they waited for word on their friend and daughter. The friends were talking quietly, except for Kim who was staring off with a faraway look on her face.

"Kimmie?" Andros called to his sister, drawing her attention along with everyone else.

She looked up at him with pain in her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked her. "Why are you feeling the way you are? It's a little confusing to me."

Hugh and Penny looked bewildered as they had no idea what he was referring to, but the others just looked at Kim expectantly.

"She was bleeding so badly," Kim's voice was soft as she spoke. "There were so many bruises over her body and the fear in her eyes and voice…it scared me Andy; it still scares me."

Seeing the confused looks on Kat's parents' faces, Tanya explained. "Kim and Tommy were the ones that found her."

"And it's a good thing they did," Melissa Oliver walked over to the group.

"How is she Mel?" Penny asked as she shot to her feet.

"I'm not going to lie Penny," Melissa sighed. "If Kim and Tommy hadn't got Kat here when they did, she would've been worse off than she is now; Kat is suffering from a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist, three bruised ribs, two of which would've been broken had she suffered any more damage to them, she had internal bleeding from being repeatedly kicked in her stomach and…"

She paused as she looked at them; to think that one of her son's friends had been through this hurt her more than anything because it hit so close to home.

"And what Mel?" Hugh asked.

"It turns out Kim was right," Mel said.

"Right about what?" Karone asked.

"From what we have seen," Melissa continued. "Katherine suffered severe bruising to her genital area."

"Are you saying that my daughter was raped?" Penny forced the question pass her lips. When Melissa nodded sadly, she collapsed against her husband as sobs tore through her throat.

Kim turned to bury her head in Tommy's chest, and the rest of the girls followed suit.

Billy closed his eyes in pain and sadness at the thought of what the girl he loved went through. For the first time in his life, Billy felt a surge of anger go through him. His hands clenched into fists and he found himself wanting to do something…anything; and as silly as it sounds, a part of him couldn't help but to blame himself. He should've tried harder, he should've done something.

His eyes flew open when he felt a hand close over his left fist and he looked directly into Kim's.

"Don't Billy," Kim said. "Don't blame yourself; none of us is to blame, only the person who did this to her."

"She's right," Preston spoke up. "I don't want any of you blaming yourselves."

"Can we see her?" Hugh asked.

"Yes," Melissa nodded. "And while normally I wouldn't let this happen, I think I can make an exception, so you guys can go see her as well."

"Thank you," Hugh said.

"It's nothing," Melissa shook her head. "Come on, I'll take you to the room they're putting her in."

They said nothing as they followed her. Hugh kept a hold on Penny and when they stepped into Kat's room, he was glad for that hold as Penny would've fallen to her the floor the moment she set eyes on Kat.

"Oh my baby," Penny cried as her husband led her to the chair next to Kat's bed.

"Oh my God." That was the general exclamation of the friends as they entered the room.

Kat's shoulder was in a sling, her left wrist in a cast and her face was bruised.

Penny reached out to grab Kat's hand in her own, cradling it gently as she lifted it to her lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"She's stable," Melissa said as she stood at the door. "But she'll be unconscious for awhile."

"Thank you," Penny turned watery eyes to Melissa before turning to look at Kim. "And thank you for saving her."

"She's my friend," Kim tried to smile, and barely managed.

Nothing else was said as the teens gathered around Kat's bedside, while Melissa left to check on her other patients. Knowing how Billy felt about Kat, Kim pushed him to the other side of the bed where he sank down in the chair that Tommy pushed to him.

"She'll be ok," Billy whispered, though it was heard by everyone in the room. "She has to be."

"He's in love with her isn't he?" Rocky whispered to Aisha. He, along with the others, saw the look on Billy's face and recognized the helplessness on his face and the defeat and blame in his eyes as he looked at her.

"I'm starting to think that," Aisha whispered back and the two went silent as they continued the vigil over there friend.

The minutes ticked by, but it didn't register to anyone. The friends left the room only to use the bathroom or to get something to eat. Melissa had returned to the room fifteen minutes earlier, gesturing to Preston to follow her; he came back in less than five minutes after that, taking up his previous position by the window. Half an hour later, the silence was broken by Hugh.

"Where's Michael?" He said to the room.

"Michael?" Mitch turned questioning eyes to him.

"He and Kat had a date tonight," Hugh said and Preston perked up. "He should've been with her…what if something happened to him?"

The friends all shared a look; they had their suspicions about Kat and Michael's relationship but even they didn't want to think that he would do something like that.

"We won't know until Kat wakes up," Trini spoke up and as if she had heard her words, a groan from the bed drew their attention.

"Katherine?" Penny focused her eyes on her daughter. "Darling can you hear me?"

"I'll go get Dr. Oliver," Curtis said just before he left the room.

Kat groaned again before her eyes fluttered open; she felt the hand on hers flew into a panic.

"No," she whimpered as she jerked her hand away; her panic increased and the machines started beeping as her heart rate went up. Melissa came through the doors, but before she could get to Kat, Kim was already there.

"Kat," she spoke softly. "Calm down…you're safe sweetie." She reached out slowly to hold the blonde's hand.

"Kim?" Kat's gaze flew to Kim's as she grabbed her hand tightly between hers.

"Yeah it's me," Kim said. "Please, I need you to calm down ok? You're safe…I promise you. You're ok now; just take a deep breath…that's it."

She sighed, along with everyone else in the room as the blonde finally calmed down, though she never released the grip on Kim's hand.

"Katherine," Melissa drew her attention as she walked up to the bed. "I'm going to give you a mild sedative so that you don't have another one of those, ok?"

Her eyes flew to Kim's and when she saw the reassurance, she stilled enough to allow Melissa close. She let out a sigh as she felt her body relax from the sedative.

"Katherine?" Penny called as she stood behind Kim.

"Mom," Kat's flew to her mom's and without saying anything, Kim moved back to her place next to Tommy to allow Penny to hold her daughter.

The two females cried as they held each other, drawing tears from the rest of the girls in the room.

"I'm sorry to do this," Preston said. "But I need to know who did this to her."

"Must you do it now?" Hugh asked.

"It's better to do it now while the memory is still fresh and she's calm," Preston replied; he didn't want to do it, and his tone indicated as much, but it was his job and it needed to be done.

"He's right Hugh," Penny said as she pulled back from her daughter. "Besides, I'd rather it be him than someone who doesn't know her."

"Kat," Preston moved in her line of sight, but kept his distance. "I know this may be hard, but I need you tell me if you recognized your attacker."

Kat closed her eyes and turned her head away; she didn't want to remember what happen and she didn't want to say his name either. The pain of it was just too much for her to bear.

"I know you don't want to sweetheart," Penny whispered. "I don't want you to either, but it's the only to get the guy. Just say his name."

Kat was silent for a while and the others thought she wouldn't do it; but she opened her eyes and turned to look at the room.

"Michael," she whispered as tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes.

"What?" Preston asked as he took a step closer.

"It was Michael," Kat said a little louder. "He's the one that did this to me…he's the one that r-r-raped me." She sought her mom and pushed herself as close to her as she could get while the others stared at each other in shock and horror.

"That bastard," Kim hissed. "That fucking bastard."

Kim's swearing shocked the others, including her brother and sister, but she paid them no mind. Without saying anything, she stormed out of the room. Tommy followed her immediately while the others looked at each other.

"She's going after him isn't she?" TJ asked.

"Yeah," Andros nodded. "And she is really pissed off."

"Damnit," Preston said as he moved to leave the room to follow the two teens.

"Dad," Jason started; when his father looked at him, he continued. "I hope you find Michael and arrest him before one of us does." The rest was left unsaid and Preston nodded as he hurried after Kim and Tommy.

…

After what happened at the movies, Michael had decided to go to Ernie's. He had met up with a few senior classmates, playing a few games and getting something to eat. Occasionally his mind would drift to Kat, but since he cared nothing for her, he would push her from his mind; he had gotten what he wanted, unwilling or not, and he knew the blonde wouldn't say anything if she could, leaving him to continue on with his life. Unfortunately for him, his life would go up in smoke as reality crashed into him.

He had just gotten up from where he was mock wrestling with a friend when he heard his name. He looked up and saw Kim and Tommy heading towards him.

"What do you two want?" he asked when they got close.

"You disgusting son of a bitch." That was all the warning he got before he felt pain explode in his face.

…

As Kim stormed from the hospital, Tommy hurrying after her, anger evident in her steps, her mind whirled on what Kat said. To think that Kat had been through hell and it was all because of Michael had her angrier than she had ever been.

She got to Tommy's jeep and jumped in, watching as he got in and started the car.

"I can't believe it Tommy," she seethed. "I can't believe that bastard did that to her."

"I can't either," Tommy said. "Do you know where he would be?"

"Let's check Ernie's," Kim said.

"Ok," Tommy nodded as he drove down the street. He knew he should stop his jeep and calm his girlfriend down, but he didn't want to. This would probably be the only chance they got to get to Michael before he was arrested.

Minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the youth center and the two made their way out of the jeep and inside. They looked around before spotting Michael with his friends; seeing him laughing with them, sent a renewed anger through Kim and stirred some in Tommy.

"Michael!" Kim yelled as she walked over to him; she drew attentions from the others in the juice bar, but she ignored them.

"What do you two want?" Michael asked when they got close.

"You disgusting son of a bitch," Kim got out before she pulled back her arm and punched him in the nose.

The youth center went silent with shock when Kim punched Michael; Tommy stood behind her, ready to step in if things got rocky.

"You broke my nose you stupid bitch," Michael hissed as he held his hands to his face. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You're my problem Michael," Kim retorted. "And I'm glad your nose is broken, but it's nothing compared to what you did to Kat."

"So, you found her huh?" Michael chuckled as he stood up.

"How could you?" Kim yelled. "How could you do that to someone else?"

"Please," Michael sneered. "The bitch probably liked it…I should give you ago, maybe you'd like it too."

Kim screeched and was going to leap at him but was beaten by Tommy who had moved forward to punch Michael once more. He grabbed his shirt and slammed his head once into the mat before pulling off the ground and close to his face.

"You're sick," Tommy hissed. "To do what you did to Kat and then to threaten my girlfriend? Big mistake."

"Tommy, don't," Preston's voice sounded behind just before he pulled Tommy's away from Michael who fell to the floor.

When Michael noticed it was a cop, he smirked at Kim and Tommy. "Officers, I want to file charges against those two…I want them arrested."

"Why you…" Kim started towards him again, only to be held back by Tommy.

"Someone's getting arrested alright," Preston said. "But it's not them."

"What?" Michael turned angry and confused eyes at him.

"Michael Davis," Preston said as he motioned the two uniformed officers towards him. "You're under arrest for the beating and rape of Katherine Hillard."

"What?" Michael yelled angrily as the two cops moved to hold and cuff him.

"You have the right to remain silent," Preston continued. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the court. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"Arrest me?" Michael said. "You can't arrest me."

"I think I just did," Preston mused. "Take him away."

Michael yelled and fumed as he was led through the shocked crowd.

"Am I going to get in trouble?" Kim asked.

"For what?" Preston looked at her.

"For hitting him," Kim answered.

"I didn't see you hit him," Preston said. "And even if I did, who would believe a slip of a girl like you punched that guy out?"

"No one I suppose," Kim smiled as she understood what he was doing.

"Everyone still at the hospital?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah," Preston nodded. "And I don't believe they're going to leave any time soon. I guess I should go call 'Lish and let her know."

"We should go back to the hospital," Tommy said

"I'll see you guys there," Preston said.

Tommy nodded and he led Kim out of the juice bar and back to his jeep. As he pulled out of the lot, he looked at her. "You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah," Kim nodded. "But I'm more worried about Kat; Michael's going to fight the charges isn't he?"

"Probably," Tommy said. "And his dad has money, so he'll probably try to buy his way out of it."

"We have to make sure that doesn't happen," Kim said.

"How do we do that?" Tommy chanced a glance at her.

"Kat's gonna need a lawyer," Kim answered. "And my dad is one of the best."

After that, the two were quiet. They pulled up at the hospital twenty minutes later and headed back inside to where Kat's room was. When they got there, they saw that she was asleep and her hands were holding tightly to her mom's and Billy's.

"What happened?" Adam asked when he saw them.

"I decked him," Kim answered. "Then Tommy did and then Jason's dad arrested him."

"Good," Jason said and the others nodded.

"How is she?" Tommy asked as he sat in an empty chair, pulling Kim on his lap.

"She fell back asleep just after you guys left," Penny was the one to answer. "Thanks you for what you did to Michael, by the way."

"Think nothing of it," Kim waved her words away. "She's my friend and I know she would've done the same had I been in her position…besides, he deserved it and so much more."

"So what's going to happen now?" Zack asked.

"More than likely," Hayley spoke up. "Michael's parents will probably fight the arrest charges."

"We'll need to find a lawyer," Hugh said.

"You don't have to worry about that," Kim said. "I'm going to talk to my dad about taking the case."

"Your father?" TJ looked at her.

"Our dad is a lawyer," Karone explained.

"Who is your dad?" Penny asked.

"Kenrick Hart," Andros was the one that answered.

"Ken Hart is your father?" Hugh looked at him.

"You know him?" Andros looked at him.

"Not personally," Hugh answered. "But I've heard of him; the construction company I work for, Bellini Inc, he's one of their lawyers."

"Are you sure he wouldn't mind?" Penny asked.

"Positive," Kim nodded, as did Andros, Karone and Zhane.

"I find myself saying this to you a lot tonight," Penny gave a brief smile. "But thank you."

"You're welcome," Kim said. "Like I said before, she's my friend and I have no problem doing this for her."

"It's going to be difficult isn't it?" Ashley asked.

"She's in for a tough road," Tanya said. "But she won't walk it alone. We'll be there to help her."

"Always," Kim said.

"Always," Tommy repeated and the word was echoed by the rest of their friends.

"You hear that sweetie?" Penny pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek. "We're all here to help and we're not going anywhere."

"That's a promise," Billy said, his voice filled with determination…the same determination that was on the other's faces and Hugh and Penelope Hillard had never felt so proud and thankful as they did in that moment for the strong friends that their daughter had.

* * *

**A/N 3: **there you have it; Kim and Tommy are finally together and Kat is finally away from Michael, though not without problems. Kat won't be as bad off as Kim was in HBC, but it will still take time for her to be who she was again…and Billy will be there to help *winks* ; oh, I didn't mention Hayley's dad, but it shouldn't be too hard to guess just who he is, right?

**A/N 4: **for my RAN fans, the chapter is almost complete...I just need to fine tune some details and it will be ready for posting.

* * *

_Next chapter:_

_-a face from the past tries to disrupt Zack and Hayley's budding relationship_

_-more on the situation with Michael and Kat_


	11. Ch 9: Trials

**A/N: **hey guys...I know, I know, it's been a while...a long while, but good news, I am over my writer's block and the juices are flowing more than ever. The only thing that will hinder updates is real life…anyways, enough rambling...enjoy the story.

**A/N 2: **to all my reviewers, thank you so much for sticking with me and this story...Iand a special thanks to falcon4crane who helped me get over the writer's block...hope you and everyone likes this chapter

**Disclaimer: **I still do not own Power rangers...Saban used to, then Disney and now Saban again...damnit all *sighs*

**O.P.D.: **Sunday 14th November, '10.

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

"_That's a promise," Billy said, his voice filled with determination...the same determination that was on the other's faces and Hugh and Penelope Hillard had never felt so proud and thankful as they did in that moment for the strong friends that their daughter had._

* * *

It's been a few days since Kat's attack. The first night, sleep was disturbed as Kat had woken up screaming from nightmares about what had happened. Melissa had to give her a sedative to get her to sleep through the rest of the night while her friends and family looked on in sadness.

It was now two days before Christmas and instead of the joyful celebrations, the friends were subdued. They couldn't find it in themselves to be cheerful and happy knowing one of them was lying in a hospital bed.

The gang was at Ernie's; they had decided to stop there to let him know how things were going with Kat and to also get something to eat.

"Hi guys," Ernie said when he spotted them.

"Hi Ernie," they replied.

"How's everything going?" He asked; he knew about Kat and was concerned about her.

"Kat's ok," Trini answered, knowing that was what he was asking. "We're going to see her after we're done here."

"She's had a few nightmares," Tanya added. "But Dr. Oliver said it was to be expected."

"She's a strong girl," Ernie soothed them. "And with all of you rallying around her, I have no doubt she'll get through this."

"Thanks Ernie," Kim smiled sadly. He nodded before he walked back into the kitchen.

"Christmas is just two days away and for the first time," Cassie said as she sat down at a table, the others doing the same. "I find that I'm not looking forward to it at all."

"Neither am I," Ashley said in agreement as she leaned against Andros.

"Did you talk with your dad?" TJ asked.

"Yeah," Karone nodded. "We did, or rather, Kim did."

"What did he say?" Mitch asked.

"Well, he was out of town the day after," Kim said. "But he came back yesterday and I talked to him about it and he agreed to take the case."

"That's good," Adam nodded.

"Yeah," Andros said. "And even better, Michael's going to have to stay in jail over Christmas."

"I'm glad for that," Jason said. Two days after Michael's arrest, Preston told them that nothing would be done until after Christmas.

"Here you go guys," Ernie walked back out with two trays.

"Thanks Ernie," the group answered. They ate quietly and were done not long after. When they finished, they headed to the counter to say goodbye to Ernie before they made their way to the parking lot.

~...~

When they arrived on Kat's floor, the nurse at the desk just smiled when she saw them. She was used to their presence and just waved them on when they passed by her. They made it to Kat's room and knocked on the door before going inside.

"Hi Mrs. Hillard," they said when they saw Penelope sitting in the chair next to her daughter's bed.

"Hi guys," Penny smiled tiredly at them.

"Has she woken up yet?" Tanya asked as she and the others found seats around the house.

"For a little bit," Penny replied. "She fell back asleep just a few minutes ago."

"Oh," Trini said softly. "That's good; the more she rests, the better she'll recuperate."

"Where's Mr. Hillard?" Adam asked.

"He went home," Penny said. "Xander's been asking questions and Hugh said he was going to sit him down and explain things to him."

"Is that ok?" Aisha asked. "I mean, isn't he too young?"

"I think so," Penny smiled, "but I'd rather he hear the truth from Hugh or I instead of hearing it on the streets or reading it in the paper."

"Ok," Aisha nodded.

"How are you holding up Billy?" Kim asked softly as to not alert the others; because she was sitting on Tommy's lap, he was the only one to hear her question.

"I'm holding," Billy sighed. "It's rough you know? Seeing her in so much pain and not being able to help."

"I think you are helping Billy," Tommy said. "Just by being here for her and being patient...I think that's helping a lot."

"I know," Billy smiled. "Thanks guys."

"You're welcome," Kim grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Kat's a fighter...she'll pull through this."

The group was mostly quiet; some were talking softly between themselves while the others watched the TV. About half an hour later, the door opened and Melissa walked in.

"Hi guys," She said as the door closed behind her.

"Hey," the group replied as one.

"I'm just checking on her," Melissa said as she walked over to Kat's bed.

"How is she?" Mitch asked.

"She's doing good," Melissa nodded as she looked over the machines and Kat's chart. "Her ribs are healing nicely, her wrist will have to stay in the cast for a few more weeks and her shoulder will be sore for a few more days. I'll keep her for another day or so, but I think she should be ready to go home for Christmas."

The excitement and relief that came from everyone brought a smile to Melissa's face.

"She will be on bed rest though," Melissa said. "I want her ribs to heal completely; I don't want her doing anything that could damage her further."

"We'll do everything to make sure that doesn't happen," Penny's smile was teary.

Melissa had just finished checking Kat's IV bag when the blonde moaned softly before slowly opening her eyes.

"Well hi there," Melissa smiled down at her.

Kat's eyes flew open completely and when she saw Melissa, her eyes automatically scanned the room until they rested on Kim; the relief in them when she saw her was plain to see to everyone.

"K-Kim?" she called out; she knew her mother was sitting there, but all she cared about was making sure the brunette was there.

"I'm here," Kim said as she moved from Tommy's lap over to the blonde's bedside. When she was there, Kat's hand moved to grab hers and seeing it, Kim helped her by grabbing hers first. "What is it?"

"Wh-what's going on?" Kat asked as she locked eyes with her friend.

"You're in the hospital sweetie," Kim said as she brushed a strand of hair from Kat's face. "Do you remember going out with Michael a few days ago? Or me and Tommy finding you and bringing you to the hospital? Do you remember talking with Jason's dad?"

The others watched on silence. Penny, though grateful her daughter was awake, couldn't help the tiny part of her that was a bit resentful that her daughter seemed to want Kimberly's presence more than her own; the last few nights when Kat had woken up screaming, she only became calm because of Kim. But even as that thought took hold, Penny shook her head to get rid of it; if it wasn't for Kim, she might've lost her daughter.

Kat closed her eyes briefly in sadness. "I thought it was just a dream; I didn't want it to be real."

Kim squeezed her hand. "It's ok; you're safe now. Everything's going to be ok."

"What's going to happen to Michael?" Kat asked.

Before anyone could answer, the door opened and Ken Hart walked in.

"I can answer that," Ken said as he stopped next to his son, a few feet from the door. "How are you feeling Katherine?"

"Ok," Kat said.

"Alright," Ken nodded, "the others know this but you don't; in regards to Michael, the lawyer that he got encouraged him to deny the charges so, I'm sorry to say this is going to trial. However, like I told the others, no judge is willing to have court proceedings on or around Christmas, so the trial won't start until the 29th."

Ken spent the rest of the visit talking to Kat and the others, giving them a rundown of how the trial could go and preparing them for it.

~...~

It was Christmas Eve morning; one day before Christmas. Every year, Tommy and the others had spent Christmas at the youth center. It had started the year before they started high school; they would help Ernie decorate the youth center on Christmas Eve and would then help pass out gifts at the Orphanage the next day on Christmas before going back to the Juice Bar for Ernie's Christmas Dance. It became a tradition for the group and the only difference for this year would be the newest additions.

The friends met up at Ernie's for breakfast and to help start the decorating.

"Hey gang," Ernie smiled when he saw them.

"Hey Ernie," they smiled as one.

"I see you guys are looking happier," Ernie commented as he stood in front of them.

"Yeah," Tanya smiled. "Kat was released from the hospital this morning, so we're happy over that."

"Just in time for Christmas tomorrow," Ernie said.

"We know," Billy replied. "We were thankful as we were slightly worried about her having to spend it in the hospital."

"Will she be here?" Ernie asked.

"My mom said as long as she was very careful and stayed in one place," Tommy spoke up, "then she wouldn't mind giving her permission...and since mom's going to be here tomorrow night, it works out fine because if anything happens, she's here."

"Alright," Ernie nodded. "I'll leave you guys to it."

The friends talked quietly as they worked. Occasionally laughter would erupt from them as they playfulness emerged.

Zack was painting one of the decorations when he looked over at Hayley who was standing next to him. A smile came on his face and if Hayley had seen it, she would've moved.

"Hey Hayley," he said.

"What?" Hayley looked up with a smile.

"You have something on your face," he said as he pointed his brush at her cheek.

"Where?" Hayley asked as her hand came to wipe at her face.

"Right...there," Zack said as he lightly touched her cheek with his brush, leaving some paint behind.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Hayley said. "You're going to pay." She laughed as she dipped her own brush into the paint and flung it at him; it landed on his shirt.

"That's my favorite shirt!" Zack looked down in shock.

"Really," Hayley giggled.

Zack mock-glared at her and he moved towards her with his brush.

"Zack...don't," Hayley laughed as she backed away.

"And why not?" Zack asked as he advanced on her.

"Because I asked you not to?" Hayley said and she laughed as he grabbed her.

"Alright fine," he smiled at her. "Hold on, let me get this paint off." he grabbed a cloth and dipped it in water before bringing it up to her face to wipe her cheek off. As he did so, the two stared at each other, oblivious to the amused looks from their friends.

"Would you two just ask each other out?" Kim's amused voice startled them. "I mean seriously? We all know you like each other, so what are you waiting for?"

"Kimberly!" Hayley looked at her best friend, who smiled unapologetically at her.

"Do you want to?" Zack asked suddenly; he was nervous of what her answer would be. Ever since she showed up and they met, he had been intrigued by the red head. He never thought he'd feel that way about another girl...and so soon. His last girlfriend had been Angela; the two had dated for the better part of their sophomore year, calling it quits back in April when Angela decided she didn't want to be with him anymore. It had hurt him, but he had slowly gotten over it. With Hayley, his feelings were similar yet different to what he had felt for Angela; he had never been this nervous when he asked Angela out.

"Do I want to what?" Hayley turned fully to him, her heart pounding. She hoped he meant what she thought he meant. She had found other boys attractive, but she was too shy to say anything to anyone and they were usually too intimidated by her genius to approach her for anything other than school work. And then Zack came along and she had been drawn to him.

"Do you want to go out with me?" Zack asked.

"Ok," Hayley nodded.

"Ok?" Zack turned wide eyes to her. "Seriously?"

"Yes," Hayley smiled and then laughed when Zack pulled her into a hug. The two pulled apart to cheers from their friends.

"It's about time," Zhane laughed. "You two have been dancing around your feelings since Hayley showed up."

"We were waiting," Hayley smiled.

"Yeah right," Kim muttered as she handed Tommy a decoration that he could paint.

"Please missy," Hayley scowled playfully. "I seem to remember a certain someone waiting as well for her guy."

"Touché," Kim laughed as did the others.

"Come on guys," Cassie shook her head with a smile. "Let's finish these up; the sooner we're done, the sooner we can move on to other things."

"Spoilsport," Andros grinned.

"Whatever," Cassie laughed.

Mitch smiled as he looked at his friends; he was happy for all them as they seemed to have their other half. On that thought, a sad look crossed his face as he wondered if he would ever find his own half. Being one of the few gay guys at AGHS was trying at times. Including him, they were only three others; two of them were seniors and dating each other and the other was a freshman, who hadn't even come out properly to his friends. His prospects were nonexistent and sometimes looking at his friends and seeing them so happy, he couldn't help but to feel jealous and wanting. He was broken from his thoughts by a touch on his arm.

"You ok?" Kim asked as she looked up at him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just being silly is all."

"Wanting someone for your own is not being silly," Kim smiled at him. "It's being human and a teenager."

"Am I that easy to read?" He asked as he looked at her.

"Only to those that know you," Kim replied. "Don't worry Mitch, your guy is coming."

"I hope so Kim," he smiled sadly at her, "because I'm beginning to think I'll never find him."

"You will," Kim nodded before she pulled him into a hug. "Now, it's Christmas, so let's get rid of the sadness and be happy and joyous."

"Alright," Mitch laughed and Kim moved back to Tommy's side while Mitch picked up another decoration and hung it up.

Rocky got a radio from Ernie and he turned it on, filling the youth center with Christmas songs; soon enough, the friends were all singing along with the radio.

Ernie shook his head as he watched his niece and her friends have fun decorating the center. He walked over to them with a two trays, drinks on them, and placed them on the table. The gang called out their thanks before continuing to work.

Mitch, who had just returned the empty trays to the counter, was about to go back to the others when he stopped suddenly, his eyes glued to the doorway and the guy that stood there. The guy stood as tall as Tommy with red hair so dark it looked auburn, he had ice blue eyes and a slim yet muscular body. The guy was wearing blue jeans with a leather jacket and a blue shirt underneath with made his eyes look brighter. _'Oh my...he's absolutely gorgeous...please let him be gay...' _

Mitch watched as the guy looked around before settling his gaze on him. His eyes widened when he noticed the guy was walking over.

"Hi," the guy said.

"Hey," Mitch cleared his throat. "Can I help you?"

"Maybe," the guy smiled and Mitch felt his breath catch. "I'm looking for my sister."

"Your sister?" Mitch asked.

"Yeah," the guy nodded. "Her name's H—

"Hayden!" a voice called out and both guys turned to watch as Hayley made her way over.

"Hayden?" Mitch's eyes widened in recognition.

"Hayley," Hayden smiled as his sister rushed into his arms. "Hi sis."

"What are you doing here?" Hayley asked as she pulled back from the hug.

"I realized I've been busy since we moved here," Hayden replied as the others came over. "And I haven't really spent any time with my sister and also, I wanted to see Uncle Ernie."

"Ok," Hayley nodded before she turned to the others. "Guys, this is my older brother Hayden Ziktor, Hayden, these are my friends Trini, Adam, Jason, Aisha, Tanya, Billy, Cassie, TJ, Curtis, Tommy, Rocky, Zack and Mitch."

"Nice to meet you," Hayden smiled as he shook each of their hands; when he came to Mitch, his hand tightened a bit before he reluctantly let go.

"And I'm sure you remember Kim, Andros, Zhane and Karone," Hayley said as she gestured to the four. She immediately let go of her brother and moved slightly away; in turn her brother shifted his stance and not a moment too soon as Kim flew into his arms.

"Al, Al, Al," Kim repeated as she hugged. "It's so good to see you."

"Missed you too Kim," Hayden laughed as he returned her hug

"Are you going to let us say hi?" Karone teased.

"No," Kim shook her head only to yelp seconds later when she felt herself being pulled from Hayden's arms. She instinctively knew who it was and she giggled.

"Thanks Tommy," Karone laughed as she moved to give Hayden her own hug.

"No problem," Tommy shrugged as he held Kim tighter; he had been seized with jealousy when he saw how Hayden hugged Kim and had wanted his girlfriend away from him.

"Hey man," Hayden looked over at Tommy after he had greeted Andros and Zhane. "It's cool; Kim's been like my little sister since she and Hayley became friends."

Tommy smiled sheepishly and he started to apologize only to be cut off by Hayden.

"It's ok," Hayden laughed. "If she was my girl, I'd have done the same thing."

"So you came to help?" Hayley asked, drawing her brother's attention back to her.

"Well I came to find Uncle Ernie," Hayden answered as he looked around, his eyes resting on Mitch, "but I think I'll stay to help out." Hayden couldn't help it; he had seen the guy when he walked in and had been drawn to him immediately. His sea-green eyes had captured his attention and he felt an instant attraction; he wanted to get to know him better. _'I hope he's gay, otherwise I'm screwed.'_

"Hmmm," Kim nodded even as she exchanged looks with Hayley. "Well, we should get back to work."

"Alright," Hayden nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Why don't you help Mitch?" Trini suggested with a smile.

"Do you mind?" Hayden turned to look at said guy.

"N-no," Mitch shook his head even as he berated himself for his slight stutter. He hoped no one noticed but judging by the smiles on the girls' faces, he knew it was in vain.

"Alright then," Hayden smiled. "Why don't you show what to do?"

"Ok," Mitch nodded and the two walked off, the others trailing behind them.

The girls walked behind and exchanged looks with each other; they had all seen the attraction between the two.

"Hayley," Ashley turned to her. "What's your brother's type?"

"Mitch," Hayley grinned and the girls laughed, causing the guys to look back at them.

"You ladies want to play matchmaker?" Tanya asked.

"I would," Kim smiled, "but I don't think they need our help." She gestured to where the two boys were smiling at each other and talking.

"Now all of us are a couple," Aisha giggled.

"First Kat getting out," Ashley smiled. "And now Mitch getting a guy...a Christmas miracle is what I call it."

Once more, the girls' laughter rang out and the guys looked at them again.

~...~

The rest of the day when by smoothly; by the time the group had finished decorating the youth center, it was already late afternoon. The group had decided to head to the park to relax for a while before heading home. The couples were together, but were still close enough to the others where they were still in a group and Billy and Curtis wouldn't feel left out as their girls weren't there.

Behind the group, Mitch and Hayden walked together.

"So Mitch," Hayden looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He was always someone that knew what they wanted and went after it; he wanted Mitch and figured the only for that to happen was to be straightforward. "How come you don't have a girlfriend?"

Mitch started as, not only hadn't he been expecting that question but, he was deep in thought and Hayden's voice jerked him out of it. "What?"

"How come you don't have a girlfriend?" Hayden asked again. "I mean, everyone here is paired off, including my sister and Zack, which reminds me, I have to talk to him about that, so why don't you?"

"Why do you want to know?" Mitch asked. _'Please say it's why I think it is...but then again, even if he is gay, what would he want with me? He's a college guy and could have any guy he wanted...why would he want a guy still in high school?' _

"Just curious," Hayden shrugged nonchalantly even if he was anything but. He knew he should ask him outright if he was gay, but he was still nervous. He had never felt such an intense attraction to someone before and he was slightly apprehensive that Mitch wasn't gay...even though every instinct in him was screaming that he _was _gay.

"I don't have a girlfriend," Mitch answered at last, "because none of them interest me."

"Is there anyone who interests you?" Hayden asked as he turned to look at him.

Mitch stopped and looked at him. "Yes, but I don't think it'll work because they couldn't possibly be interested in me…why do you want to know? Why so curious about my love life?"

"I'm curious because," Hayden looked away towards where his sisters and their friends were before looking back at Mitch.

"I mean," Mitch interrupted him, "it's not like you're interested in me or anything."

Hayden said nothing, he just looked at him.

"Are you?" Mitch asked, his heart pounding, "Are you interested in me?"

"And if I am?" Hayden asked as he raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile.

"I don't mind," Mitch smiled back when he saw the smile. He turned and started walking towards the others. "I don't mind at all."

Hayden smiled and caught up with him, the two joining their friends.

~...~

Katherine laid on her bed as she gazed out her window; it was Christmas morning and she couldn't feel any joy within her. She had been released from the hospital yesterday and her friends had stopped by after they had decorated Ernie's place. She had kept Kim close to her because she felt a lot safer with the petite brunette within reach. She couldn't stop the snort that escaped her as she thought on that.

'_Who would've thought that it'd be Kim I'd lean on? After how I treated her, she managed to forgive me and stood by my side; I never expected it, especially after what I did to Tommy.'_

A small smile came on her face, one of the few genuine ones that happened ever since her attack, as she thought on Kim.

'_I was angry with her when we first met and I hated her for Tommy loving and wanting to be with her, but now, I'm glad I was wrong. She helped me a lot...more than I thought she could and would. With everything that happened with Michael, I know the only reason I got through it was because I knew she was determined to help me…even when no one else was. She knew something was wrong before anyone else._

'_She saved me. I know mom is hurt that I willing touch Kim but flinch when others touch me, but I can't help it; Kim was the one that found me and brought me to help, she kept me safe and I need that right now.'_

Kat sighed and carefully rolled from her side to her back. She wondered what her friends were doing and her thoughts drifted to Billy.

'_He's been so sweet since the attack...even before. I love him _(she laughs) _never thought that'd happen again as I was so convinced I was in love with Tommy. But I did tell Kim I was fighting the norm, with Billy though, it's different; I feel...felt different _(sighs)_ I don't know what's going to happen now...is he even going to want me, especially when he knows I caused this on myself?'_

Tears slipped from Kat's eyes and rolled down her cheeks; she slowly started crying and was unaware someone was in her room until she felt a touch on her arm; she flinched automatically, but stopped when she heard the voice saying her name. She turned and saw Kim standing there.

"Kim," she said softly, her voice clogged with tears and her eyes pleading for comfort; she was barely aware of the others stepping her room and closing the door.

~...~

When Christmas morning dawned, it seemed as if the teens all woke simultaneously; breakfast was eaten and they all seemed to gravitate to the home of their fallen friend. Hayden was with them as they had told him about Kat when they were at the park yesterday and he had wanted to be there for them and to let the blonde know she had another friend.

They arrived just minutes after each other and shared smiles before Tanya knocked on the door. Xander opened it.

"Hi guys," he smiled when he saw them.

"Hey Xander," Tanya smiled. "Can we come in?"

"Sure," Xander nodded as he moved away for them to enter. The group walked in, Rocky closing the door behind as he was the last one in.

"Are you guys here to see my sister?" Xander asked.

"Yeah," Cassie nodded. "Is she up for visitors?"

"She's awake," Xander said, "if that's what you mean." He knew his sister was having a rough time; he didn't know exactly what happened as all he had been told by his dad was that someone had hurt his sister really bad. He knew though that she wouldn't mind seeing her friends...well, he hoped not.

"Is your mom or dad home?" Karone asked.

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "Mom?"

"Yes sweetie?" Penny walked into the living room when she heard her youngest calling her. "Oh, hi guys."

"Hi Mrs. Hillard," the group replied.

"Is it possible for us to see Kat?" Kim asked.

"Sure," Penny nodded with a smile. "Why don't you guys go up?"

"Thanks," Tommy said and the group moved towards the stairs. They were silent as they made their way to her room and that silence allowed them to hear the soft crying emitting from it. Sharing concerned looks, the gang hurried their steps.

Billy opened the door and they saw Kat crying; Kim immediately went to the bed and the others waited for her to calm down the blonde before announcing their presence.

When Kim touched Kat, the blonde flinched as she expected. "Kat," she said softly.

"Kim," Kat's voice was soft and clogged with tears.

When Kat said her name, that and the plea in her eyes, Kim felt compassion go through her; she said nothing as she moved to the bed to wrap Kat in her arms. The moment her arms closed around her, Kat's tears fell faster.

"What is it sweetie?" Kim asked as she gently ran her hand through the blond locks.

"I'm so terrified," Kat whispered, though it was heard by everyone. "Every night I close my eyes, I keep seeing him. How could I let this happen? Why did I let it happen?"

"It's not your fault Kat," Billy said softly; he was hurting inside to the see the woman he loved hurt so much and with all his smarts, he could do nothing to help her...he had never felt so helpless in his life.

"Yes it is," Kat said. "It is my fault and I deserved it."

"Never say that," Tanya said as she moved to sit on the opposite side of the bed. She reached out slowly and took Kat's hand in hers. "It is not your fault and you did not deserve this. Nobody deserves that."

"But I did," Kat insisted through her tears.

"Ok sweetie," Kim soothed. "Why do you deserve it?"

"Because I wasn't strong enough," Kat cried as she tightened her arm around Kim's waist. "If I was strong enough, he never would've done all those things to me and he wouldn't have r-r-raped me..." she broke off into more tears and Kim tightened her own arms around the blonde. She was never one for hate, but she was willing to make an exception because she hated Michael with a passion.

Kim looked at her friends over Kat's head before resting on her boyfriend; the look she saw there was one that was on everyone's faces...a look of determination mingled with love and protection for the blonde in her arms. Kim pulled away and tipped Kat's face up so that she could see her eyes.

"Listen to me," Kim spoke softly and standing just a few feet away, Tommy couldn't help but to fall more in love with her as he watched how she handled their friend. "Don't ever think you are not strong because you are, and T's right, don't ever think you deserved what happened because you didn't. Kat, no one knew Michael would do this...not even you. You are not to blame for anything that happened, only him. Michael caught you in a weak moment and played on your fears and insecurities and the moment you fought back, he couldn't have that and tried to destroy in the worst way possible.

"But the fact that you are here with me, with us, tells me that he didn't win, that he didn't destroy you. You're free of him now and you always will be; and you will get through this because all of us will be there every step of the way to help you. The one thing Michael tried to take from you and didn't succeed in was your friends. All he did was make us more protective of you than ever before. We will always stand by your side Kat, always."

Kat looked up at Kim before looking around at each of her friends. She saw the love and protectiveness shining from them, even from the guy she didn't know, and she smiled another of her few yet genuine smiles.

"Thank you," she said softly, "all of you."

"You never have to thank us," Curtis smiled.

"It's what friends are for," Mitch added on with a wink that pulled a laugh from Kat. Next to him, Hayden's hand found his and their fingers laced together. He looked up at him before turning back to Kat. "So, what do you say we drop the depression and start on happy, cheerful things? It's Christmas after all."

"Ok," Kat nodded. "First off, tell me who that guy is and why you're holding hands."

The flustered looks on both boys' faces had Kat giggling which prompted everyone to laugh.

~...~

Standing outside her daughter's door, Penny smiled as she was once again thankful for her daughter's friends, especially the petite brunette that seemed to have one of the biggest hearts she knew. She always seemed to know what to say to help bring her daughter out of her down and put a smile on her face. The fact that Kat felt so safe around her only cemented her thanks to the brunette. She was grateful for her because she didn't think Kat would survive getting through this without her and her friends.

Giving one last look and smile at the door, Penny headed back downstairs.

~...~

Christmas Day had passed just how the gang had planned; after being at Kat's, they made their way to the youth center where they spent the rest of the day and later on that night, the teens delivered gifts to the Orphanage before going back to the youth center where they finished out their Christmas party.

It was now December 29th, four days since Christmas and the first day of the trial. Ken had spent the last few days with Kat going over her testimony as well as the others as they could be called as character witnesses for either Kat or Michael.

Heading into the courtroom, the friends stayed close to each other; they saw Kat and Ken up front and they made their way to them, piling into the seats behind them. Kim, Tommy, Tanya, Penny, Hugh and Billy were in the first row; second row held Adam, Jason, Trini, Aisha, Rocky, and Mitch; third row held Ashley, Zack, Hayley, Hayden, Cassie and Andros; fourth row held Curtis, TJ, Zhane, Karone, Caroline, Melissa and James and the last row held Preston, Alicia and the rest of the parents with the exception of Maria, who had decided to stay home with Xander, Vida and Maddie, and Melanie who stayed with Justin and Nick.

On Michael's side, his parents and friends sat behind him, though his side was less than Kat's.

Everyone in the courtroom spoke softly among themselves, Kim and the others giving Kat reassurances that they were there and she was strong enough to get through it. Now and again, Michael would turn to smirk at her, but Kat refused to let him know he was getting to her.

Ten minutes after everyone was in the room, the judge walked out and the bailiff stepped forward.

"All rise," the bailiff said and they did. "The Honorable Judge Kila Lee Lucas is now presiding."

"Please be seated," Judge Lucas said as she sat down. "Bailiff?"

The bailiff walked over to her with a folder and handed it to her. Judge Lucas took and read it over.

"It says here that Michael Alexander Davis is being charged for the attack and rape of Katherine Sarah Hillard," Judge Lucas looked at the court. "I trust everyone has their proper representatives? Very well then, this court is now in session. Mr. Hart, you may call your first witness."

"Thank you your honor," Ken said as he stood up. "I would like to call Officer Preston Scott."

Preston stood up from his seat and made his way up front; he passed Kat and Ken, and headed directly towards where he was supposed to be. He didn't sit as he knew what was required; the bailiff walked over and after swearing him in, Preston sat down and Ken walked forward.

"Officer Scott," Ken said. "Could you tell the court what happened on the night in question?"

"I was making my routine patrol," Preston started, "and everything was fine until I noticed a car going well above the speed limit."

"Did you recognize the car?" Ken asked.

"Not at first," Preston shook his head, "It wasn't until I pulled them over and walked up the driver's window did I recognize Tommy Oliver, my son's best friend."

"What happened then?" Ken asked.

"I asked him if he knew he was speeding," Preston continued, "but before he could answer, his girlfriend, Kimberly Hart spoke up. She told me that they needed to get to the hospital and it was then I looked in the back seat and I saw her; she was holding onto Ms. Hillard, who I noticed was bloodied. I asked what happened and they told me they found her in alleyway at the movies.

"I got back to my car and pulled alongside them and then I told them to follow me; when we got to the hospital, I called for help and Dr. Melissa Oliver, Tommy's mother, saw us and came over. She asked what was going on and we told her. I then went back to get Katherine's parents, but I didn't tell them everything because I thought they'd rather hear from the doctor. A while after that, Dr. Oliver told us Katherine was in her room and took us back to see her. Katherine woke up and I asked her if she remembered what happened? I asked her if she knew who attacked her."

"And what did she say?" Ken asked as he looked at his client before looking back at Preston.

"She identified him," Preston said as he gestured to Michael. "She told everyone that he was the one to rape her."

"Thank you Mr. Scott," Ken nodded, "No further questions." He turned and walked back to his seat.

"Your witness Mr. Lovett," Judge Lucas said.

"Mr. Scott," Jonathan Lovett, Michael's attorney stood up. "You said that you asked Ms. Hillard who attacked her just moments after she woke up."

"Yes," Preston nodded, "and she identified your client."

"But how can you be so sure?" Jonathan asked. "Ms. Hillard was no doubt under medication, how can you be sure she called the right name? Could it not be that she spoke my client's name because he was her boyfriend and they were together earlier in the night?"

"You could look at it that way," Preston said even as his eyes narrowed. "However, I have been a cop for years and I can tell you that despite the fact that Katherine was on pain medication, she spoke clearly."

"No further questions," Jonathan frowned as he turned back to his seat.

"You may go Officer Scott," Judge Lucas said and Preston stepped down.

Preston nodded to Ken and gave a small smile to Kat as he passed their table.

"Next witness?" Judge Lucas called out.

"Your honor," Jonathan said as he stood up, "I'd like to call Jeffrey Johnson to the stand."

Jonathan question Jeffrey as did Ken and it went that way until Judge Lucas called for court to stop.

"Court will reconvene in three days," Judge Lucas stated as she pounded her gavel. "Court is dismissed, bailiff please escort Mr. Davis back to his cell."

She got up and walked out as everyone moved from their seats. As the bailiff walked Michael out, he sneered at Kat as he passed.

"You ok?" Kim reached out to grab Kat's hand.

"Yeah," Kat nodded even as she squeezed Kim's hand. "Just a little rattled."

"Understandable," Tommy nodded.

"What do you think dad?" Andros asked and the others turned their attention to Ken even as they started walking out of the courtroom.

"I think it's going well," Ken said, "the jurors, as well as everyone else, can see that we're telling the truth about Michael, so this should hopefully not take too long and be a clear cut case."

"Will Kat still have to take the stand?" Penny asked as she walked next to her daughter.

"In some cases no," Ken said, "but in other cases, yes; in cases like these, more often than not, the victim took the stand in their defense."

"Are you going to be up for that sweetie?" Caroline asked.

"I'm not sure," Kat said and she felt Kim squeeze her hand in reassurance.

"Well," Trini smiled, "if you do or not, we're all here."

~...~

The next three days passed by quickly and soon, everyone was back in the courtroom. After Judge Lucas sat down, she turned to Mr. Lovett and he called his witness, another of Michael's friends.

They day passed like before, most of Kat's friends had spoken, only Kim and Kat herself was left.

"Your witness Mr. Hart," Judge Lucas said.

"Your honor," Ken said. "I would like to call Kimberly Hart to the stand."

Tommy squeezed his girlfriend's hand while Andros nodded at his twin. Kim touched Kat's shoulder and moved out of the bench and headed to the witness stand. The bailiff walked over to her.

"Place your hand on the bible," he said, when she did, he continued. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"I do," Kim nodded and she sat down as the bailiff walked away.

"Ms. Hart," Kim smiled softly to himself as he looked at his daughter. "Could you please tell the court what your relationship is like with my client?"

"We're friends," Kim said.

"But you weren't always friends, were you?" Ken asked as he walked around a bit.

"No, not really," Kim said.

"Could you explain please?" Ken looked at her.

"Well," Kim started, "It's my first year at Angel Grove High and on my first day, I met my current boyfriend Tommy; at the time, Tommy was Kat's boyfriend, but I didn't know that. I didn't meet Katherine until the second week of school and that's when I found out she was dating Tommy. Kat didn't like me at first, or rather she couldn't like because Tommy and I had gotten to know each other really well and she was jealous of it. Due to misunderstandings, she couldn't let herself be friends with me, but after we cleared the air, we tried the friendship thing again and it worked."

In the pews, Tommy and the others smiled.

"What is your relationship with Mr. Davis?" Ken asked.

"We are not friends," Kim's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at said guy.

"Why is that?" Ken asked.

"Simple," Kim said, "I don't like him and I didn't like his...relationship with Kat."

"Can you tell us about my client's relationship to Mr. Davis?" Ken asked.

"Objection," Jonathan stood. "Ms. Hart can't answer as that is purely speculated."

"Your honor," Ken turned to the judge, "I'm simply trying to get an outsider's view on the relationship; it's a look at his character."

"Overruled Mr. Lovett," Judge Lucas said.

"Ms. Hart?" Ken turned back to his daughter.

"Kat started, well for lack of a better term, dating Michael shortly after her and Tommy broke up," Kim said. "I didn't like the idea because I thought there was something off about Michael. I started paying attention and what I saw I didn't like; she changed her dress code, she always seemed to look to him for permission to do anything, she would flinch if someone got to close and she would get this scared and trapped look in her eyes whenever someone approached her. I could never do anything because all I had was speculations. I told my worries to our friends and they noticed the same things I did, but there was nothing we could do."

"Could you tell us your version of the night in question?" Ken asked.

"Tommy and I had decided to go to the movies," Kim answered. "It was our first date as boyfriend and girlfriend; we were talking when we passed the alleyway and I heard crying. I stopped Tommy and asked if he heard anything; after a few minutes, I heard the sound again and so did Tommy. I walked into the alleyway and I saw a body on the ground, when I got closer, I recognized the blonde hair and I knew it was Kat. I touched her shoulder and she flinched and started crying, begging me not to hurt her anymore," Kim paused as she felt tears in her eyes when she remembered the night she found Kat; she wasn't the only one. Many of the jurors and audience had tears in their eyes as well. "I told Tommy to bring his jeep around so that we could take her to the hospital and he gave me his jacket to cover. You know what happened after that as Mr. Scott already told you."

"So you were there when Katherine identified her attacker?" Ken asked.

"Yes," Kim nodded, "although it was her mother who started the suspicions." At the confused looks, she clarified. "She asked about Michael; she told us the two were together and she was worried that whoever attacked Kat might've hurt Michael too."

"But you didn't believe that?" Ken said.

"No," Kim shook her head. "Mrs. Hillard mentioning Michael's name told me immediately that Michael was the one who did it."

"What happened after that?" Ken asked.

"I got angry," Kim admitted, "When Kat woke up and told us Michael attacked her, I became furious. I left the hospital, Tommy followed me, and I headed to where I thought Michael would be. I found him at Ernie's with his friends, laughing like nothing had happened. I walked over to him and punched him. He laughed when I accused him about Kat and then he threatened to do the same to me. Tommy didn't like that and was about to punch him when Mr. Scott showed up and arrested him."

"Okay thank you," Ken nodded and turned to go. "No further questions your honor."

"Mr. Lovett," Judge Lucas said. "Your witness."

"Thank," Jonathan stood up. "Ms. Hart, just how is it Ms. Hillard came to be in a relationship with my client?"

"He played on her fears and insecurities," Kim said. "He knew she had jealousy over the closeness between me and Tommy and he used that against her."

"So he forced her to cheat?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"I would appreciate it Mr. Lovett," Kim glared at the man, causing him to take a barely noticeable step back. "If you would not put words into my mouth; I said he used her emotions against her, not that he forced her to cheat."

Ken, along with the teens, smiled; they all knew Kim had a temper, especially when it came to someone she cared about. Ken looked at Michael's lawyer and smirked slightly; he knew his daughter and if the man thought she would be easy, he was in for a rude surprise.

"So you are admitting her cheating?" Jonathan asked; he would never admit it, but the look the girl leveled at him made him sweat a little. He knew she was Ken's daughter and that fact alone made him weary of her. He knew of Ken, knew that the man worked for Bellini Inc. as one of their top lawyers and he was surprised to learn that the man had taken this case...at least until he realized that the victim was actually a friend to Ken's children.

"Seeing as you're here I can see that you're not stupid, so you should really stop yourself from asking stupid and redundant questions," Kim said as she raised an eyebrow.

"Ms. Hart," Judge Lucas warned, but if anyone had looked closely, they would've seen the amusement playing her in eyes.

"Sorry your honor," Kim said before she turned to look at Jonathan again. "Yes I'm saying she cheated; everyone here knows it so I don't see the point in lying about it. Kat did cheat but it was only because of a misunderstanding and truthfully, had I been in the same position as she was, I probably would've cheated as well. What I'm saying is, your _client _was like a shark smelling blood; he saw how Kat was reacting and he decided to twist her emotions to suit him."

Jonathan was at a slight loss; he had no idea which direction to go in as he had never faced a witness quite like the girl before him. Not even the Oliver kid had rattled him this much when he had questioned him before; she truly was her father's daughter.

"So Ms. Hillard chose to cheat on her boyfriend," Jonathan said, "just like she chose to enter into a relationship with my client. She lied about her cheating and lied to her friends as well, so who's to say she didn't lie about her attack as well? From all accounts, Ms. Hillard wanted out of the relationship, so who is to say, she wasn't attacked by someone else and she blamed my client as revenge? And what about you? You admit to attacking my client, so how can we be sure that you're not in on it as well? After all, through your own words, you said you didn't trust him or like him."

When Kim looked at Jonathan, it seemed as if the temperature in the room had dropped; it was such an icy glare, that several people found themselves flinching back as if they were ones on the receiving end.

"Do you have any daughters Mr. Lovett?" Kim asked quietly, though you could hear the anger in her voice.

"Yes," Jonathan nodded slowly.

"And I'm sure you have female friends," Kim continued. "And how long have you known those female friends and how well do you know them?"

"I...uh...I have two that I've known since college," Jonathan replied.

"Tell me this," Kim said. "If one of your closest female friends was dating a guy that you didn't trust, and on a night that you were out with your girlfriend, you come across your friend in an alley; her clothes are torn, her face is bruised and bloodied as is the rest of her body, you go to help her and she flinches away from your touch all the while begging you not to hurt her anymore. You take her the hospital where your girlfriend's mother confirms your suspicions and tells you your friend was raped."

Everyone in the courtroom was silent as they listened to Kim.

"Said friend wakes up and tells you in a voice clear as day," Kim continued, "that her boyfriend, the guy that is supposed to take care of her and make her feel safe, raped and beat her while he tells her she's nothing but a slut and that was all he wanted from her, he leaves her to die and then goes out and hangs out with his friends laughing like he has no care in the world...like he hadn't just destroyed someone. How would you feel Mr. Lovett if you went through all that, only for some hotshot to tell you that you're lying and for that same hotshot to imply that your friend brought it upon herself? How would you feel and how would you react if you were the one in that position?"

Jonathan could say nothing to that and everyone could see it.

"Michael raped Katherine," Kim said even as she looked across the room to where her friend had her head slightly bowed. "He abused her for weeks, only to finally rape her and then, like the bastard he is, he left her to die in an alleyway. He had no remorse for what he did and he threatened to do the same to me. And you can sit there and defend him or even try to twist our words around, but it won't change the fact; your client is an abusing rapist."

"YOU BITCH!" Michael jumped to his feet and the bailiff and Jonathan raced over to restrain him.

"Order!" Judge Lucas yelled out. "Mr. Lovett, calm your client down or he will be held in contempt." She turned to Kim. "You may step down Ms. Hart."

"Thank you," Kim said as she got up. She walked down and headed back to her seat. When she passed Kat's table, the blonde stood up and pulled her friend into a hug. "It's ok."

Kat tightened the hug for a second before she nodded and let go. Kim reached up and wiped her tears. The two shared a smile before moving back to their respective seats.

"Call your last witness Mr. Hart," Judge Lucas ordered.

"Yes your honor," Ken stood up after whispering with Kat. "I'd like to call Katherine Hillard to the stand."

Murmurs echoed through the courtroom and Judge Lucas once again called for order and silence.

When Kat took the stand, Ken walked over to her. He waited until the bailiff swore her in before he leaned forward.

"Just be calm ok?" he said. "Everything's going to be fine; do not pay any attention to him."

"Ok," Kat nodded shakily.

"Could you please for the court," Ken spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Tell how your relationship with Mr. Davis started?"

"It was after I came back to Angel Grove," Kat started and she told them about her suspicions about Tommy and Kim, her fears of the two being together and the jealousy she felt whenever she saw them. She told them of how Michael came to her and lied about seeing Kim and Tommy kiss. She explained how she had ignored his advances until a misunderstanding where she finally gave in to him.

"It's ok," Ken said. "Take your time."

"I truly thought Tommy was cheating on me," Kat said, "so all I was concerned about was getting revenge. It wasn't until the night of the Halloween Dance when Tanya confronted me that I learned the truth; Tommy and Kim never went behind my back. After I was told that, I went to Michael and told him everything was over. I told him I knew the truth about Tommy and Kim and I couldn't keep cheating, so I ended things and went back to my friends."

"What happened then?" Ken asked.

"I didn't know it then," Kat looked over at Tommy before looking back at Ken. "But Tommy saw us together that same night, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't until he caught us the day after that everything blew up. Michael showed up at Ernie's and I went outside to talk to him. I made a stupid mistake again by allowing him to kiss me and Tommy caught us. After that, all our friends found out. When they learned what I had done, they stopped being my friends."

"Go on," Ken nodded encouragingly.

"I expected it," Kat said. "So I was shocked when Tanya, Billy and Kimberly still talked to me. They stayed my friends despite what I had done. I was feeling so guilty and horrible about it that when Michael suggested we dated, I gave in; that was a mistake. Everyday Kim would ask me if everything was ok, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. I couldn't tell her what was really going on even though I wanted to."

"The night of the attack," Ken said. "You had a date with Mr. Davis; could you tell us what happened?"

"We went to the movies," Kat let out a shuddering breath. "Michael was really angry because he said I made him wait when he picked me up at my house; we were still in the driveway, so he couldn't hit me, I was thankful for that because I knew if my mom wasn't right inside, he would've. We got to the movies and he left to go somewhere and told me he didn't want me talking to anyone." She stopped and swallowed heavily even as she closed her eyes to ward off the tears.

"What happened next?" Ken asked gently; he knew it was difficult for her to recall her own rape, but she needed to let the jurors know everything so that they could put Michael away.

"A guy from school came over to say hi," Kat said softly. "I didn't reply as much and the guy left. I thought it was fine, but Michael came back and saw the guy talking to me. He got so angry. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me outside. I tried to fight him off, but I couldn't. He took me to the alley and he started beating me...he told me he was going to finally take what he wanted and he...he t-t-tore at my clothes and I fought even harder but...it was no use...he r-r-raped me over and over." she paused once more to wipe her tears; she looked out and caught Kim's eyes, gaining strength from the look in them. Taking another shuddering breath, she continued. "When he was done, he beat me again and told me that I was a stupid slut and all he wanted was to hurt Tommy. He told me that I deserved it and then he spit on me before walking away. I don't know how long I laid there, but Kim and Tommy found me; I passed out soon after."

"No further questions," Ken said and the Judge nodded; she herself had suspiciously moist eyes.

Jonathan stood up after taking a few breaths to control himself; Kat's testimony had gotten to him. He knew without a doubt that his client was guilty and he hoped to God they found him so. But still, he had a job to do.

"Did you have any feelings for my client?" Jonathan asked.

"What?" Kat looked at him. "No."

"So, you didn't lust after him?" Jonathan shrugged. "After all, he is good looking and that passion had to come from somewhere."

"Are you serious?" Kat asked him.

"You lusted after my client and he gave into your advances," Jonathan said. "When your friends and boyfriend found out, you tried to turn things around, but it was too late, so you decided to stay with him."

"That's not what happened," Kat was becoming more upset as her eyes darted around the courtroom quickly; they stopped on Kim for a few seconds before she met Jonathan's eyes again.

"Isn't it?" Jonathan said. "You finally realized your friends meant a lot and when things started getting hot and heavy that night, a little too rough, you cried rape."

"Objection!" Ken yelled out as he stood up.

"ROUGH?" Kat yelled out. "He raped me! He raped me over and over as he beat me and insulted me. He abused me for months before that; told me what to wear, who to talk to, he would hit me if I said anything to upset him. He made me feel like shit and when he couldn't get what he want, he decided to take it. I may have deserved it, but I didn't ask for it. I told him no and I begged him to stop, but he didn't listen. He broke my wrist, dislocated shoulder and bruised my ribs. I was told that if he had kept kicking me, he would've broken my ribs as well. He raped and beat me and then he left me there to die. So don't stand there and try to make it my fault and to make him seem better, because he's not."

When she was done, she broke down crying which became even worse until she started to hyperventilate; Kim, who couldn't stand it, move from her seat and rushed to Kat, so did Melissa. Kim pulled her into a hug while both she and Melissa tried to calm her down.

"YOU BITCH!" Michael roared once more. "YOU SELFISH, LYING BITCH! YOU WANTED IT!"

"Order in the court!" Judge Lucas yelled out as she slammed her gravel down over and over. "Mr. Lovett, control your client!"

Jonathan and the bailiff once again rushed to Michael's side; soon, the only noise that could be heard was Kat's crying and Kim and Melissa trying to calm her down.

"Mr. Davis," Judge Lucas stated, "you will be taken back into custody. Ms. Hillard, you may step down." She turned to Kim and Melissa. "You can take her out to calm her down."

"Thank you," Melissa nodded and she and Kim helped Kat from the stand and out the room.

"Mr. Hart, Mr. Lovett," Judge Lucas said. "Your closing arguments."

Ken went first and he spent ten minutes talking. Jonathan followed after and everyone could see that he didn't believe what he was saying. When they were done, they returned to their seats and court was quiet.

"Jurors," Judge Lucas turned to jury. "You may leave to deliberate." She turned back to the audience. "Court is in recess until further notice."

Tommy and the others piled out of the courtroom in search of their two friends; they found them sitting two benches from the door.

"Hey," Tommy said as he sat down next to Kim. "How is she?"

"I'm ok," Kat answered. "It was just overwhelming; to bring all that back..."

"It's ok," Billy knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hand in his. "We're here for you."

"I know," Kat nodded and she pulled her hand from his and raised it cup his cheek. "I know."

"Good," Billy nodded.

"What do you guys say we go to Ernie's and get something to eat?" Rocky suggested. "We can tell him how everything went and how Kim went all psycho on the lawyer."

"I did not go psycho," Kim huffed.

"Yes you did," Tommy chuckled.

"Whatever," Kim smiled. "Dad? Do you need us?"

"Nah," Ken shook his head. "You guys can go ahead; these deliberations can take a while, sometime days."

"Alright," Kim nodded as she stood up as did Kat and Melissa.

"I want you to take it easy ok," Melissa warned. "Your ribs are healing, but I still don't want you to overdo it."

"Ok," Kat nodded.

"And don't put unnecessary pressure on your wrist or shoulder," Melissa continued.

"I won't," Kat smiled. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble sweetie," Melissa smiled and kissed her on her cheek. "Tommy, I'll see you at home. Kim sweetie, Nick has been asking for you."

"Ok mom," Tommy smiled.

"Can you tell him I'll be over tomorrow?" Kim asked with a smile as she thought on Tommy's little brother.

"I will," Melissa smiled. "Have a good time at Ernie's."

"We will," Hayden said.

"We'll see you guys," Caroline and the other parents said before they left.

"Let's go to Ernie's," Kim smiled.

~...~

Ernie was wiping down his counter when he heard the laughter; he looked up and seconds later, his niece and nephew and their friends came in. He couldn't help but to smile.

"Hey guys," he called out.

"Hey Ernie," they replied.

"So how did it go?" Ernie asked. "Is it over?"

"Nah," Hayden shook his head. "Although, Mr. Hart is very hopeful and so are we, but you should've been there Uncle Ernie, Kim went off on the guy."

"Kimberly?" Ernie turned to look at the petite brunette.

"He was making all kinds of accusations," Kim replied defensively. "He was pissing me off."

"And that is why dad saved her until last," Karone laughed. "He knew exactly how Kim was."

"Whatever," Kim smiled.

"You guys can go sit down," Ernie said. "I'll bring your food out."

"Thanks Ernie," Trini smiled and the group turned to walk to their seats. Hayden kept looking at Mitch and Kim moved to walk next to him.

"Just ask him out already," Kim said softly as she stopped him. "He's dying for you to."

"Would you believe me if I told you I was nervous?" Hayden turned to look at her.

"Yes," Kim nodded. "Because I was nervous about being with Tommy and he was nervous about asking me out. Everyone gets nervous Al; it's just that, sometimes you have to act in spite of that nervousness."

"I really like him Kim," Hayden confessed.

"We know," Hayley said as she walked up to the two. "So when are you going to do something about it?"

"Kim says I should ask him out now," Hayden told his sister.

"Do it," Hayley smiled. "I always thought you were a take charge kinda guy."

"I am," Hayden said.

"So do it," Kim slapped him playfully on the arm. "Just go up to him, ask him to talk alone and then ask him out."

"Ok," Hayden nodded before he walked off. Kim and Hayley smiled at each other before following him.

"Mitch?" Hayden said when he got to the group. "Can I talk to you...alone?"

"Sure," Mitch nodded. He moved away from the others and followed Hayden a distance away. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me," Hayden said.

"I was wondering when you were gonna get around to asking me that," Mitch teased.

"Are you gonna say yes or not?" Hayden laughed.

"Well," Mitch smiled. "You put it so nicely...sure why not?"

"Well don't sound so enthusiastic," Hayden teased.

"If you'd rather I made out with you right now in front of everyone," Mitch smiled as he waggled his eyebrows. "I can definitely help you out."

"Save that for after the date," Hayden chuckled.

"Will do," Mitch smiled. "I really I'm glad you finally asked me out."

"Me too," Hayden smiled. "Now come on, I know two girls personally that are dying to know what's going on."

The two laughed as they headed back to their friends.

"So?" Aisha asked the moment they were in hearing distance.

"We're gonna go on a date and see how it works out," Mitch answered.

"'bout time," Tanya breathed.

"Hey," Hayden said as he looked around at his new friends.

"Please," Kat piped up and everyone looked at her. "You two have been acting lovey dovey since I was introduced to you Hayden."

"Well said Kat," Kim laughed.

"Well," Zack said. "Ladies and gents, I'd love to stay and chat some more but me and this lovely lady here have to leave."

"You guys have a date now?" TJ asked.

"Yes," Hayley smiled. "We'll see you guys later. Call us if they get word back from the court."

"Will do," Jason nodded. "Have fun."

"We will," Zack laughed. "Bye guys."

"Bye," Adam said. "So, what do we do now?"

"I don't about you guys," Zhane said. "'But I'm all for spending the rest of the day here."

"Same here," Curtis nodded.

"So that's what we'll do," Cassie said and the others agreed.

~...~

Zack and Hayley laughed as they made their way into the movie theatre; they were catching an early afternoon showing as they wanted to spend the rest of the day with their friends.

"Do you think Michael's going to spend a long time in prison?" Hayley asked as they approached the ticket counter.

"Hopefully," Zack said. "For what he did to Kat, he should; at least that way, they can be sure he won't do it to anyone else."

"True," Hayley nodded. "Anyways, let's concentrate on this date."

"Good idea pretty lady," Zack smiled. "This date is what the Zack-man's all about." Hayley's laughter rang out as they bought their tickets.

Almost two hours later, the two walked back out the theatre. They were holding hands and talking softly between the two of them. They had just gotten to the parking lot when they were stopped.

"Zack?"

The two turned and saw Angela standing there.

"Angela," Zack nodded towards her. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Angela said and her eyes moved towards Hayley then to their joined hands and back to Zack.

"Angela this is my girlfriend Hayley," Zack said. "Hayles, this is my ex Angela."

"Nice to meet you," Hayley couldn't help the pleased feeling that came over her when Zack called her his girlfriend.

Angela on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at the terms. She and Zack had broken up earlier in the year, back in April; she had been the one to end it as she had thought he wasn't as mature as she would've liked. She knew Zack had liked her since they were in grade school, so when they had broken up, she had done it with the thought that by the end of their high school career, he would've matured and then she would've taken him back. She never expected him to get a girlfriend; and one so pretty.

"So when did you two start dating?" Angela asked.

"We've liked each other since I moved here," Hayley smiled at Zack before turning back to Angela, "but we just became boyfriend/girlfriend recently." Hayley was starting to get a weird feeling from Angela; she didn't know if it was because she was Zack's ex and Hayley was his current girl, but she didn't like it.

"Oh?" Angela said. "That's nice." She was getting angry; Zack was not supposed to get another girlfriend. He was supposed to be free to be with her when she felt he was ready; it was selfish, she knew, but she couldn't help the way she felt. Add in to the fact that a few of friends had told her she was silly for letting him go in the first place. She had realized that, but she had selfishly believed that he would only ever want her.

"We should probably go," Hayley said.

"Yeah," Zack looked at her before looking back at his ex. "We'll see you."

"Zack wait," Angela stepped forward, "can I talk to you?"

"Now?" Zack was confused; he had no idea why Angela would want to talk to him. They hadn't said much to each other since their break up.

"Zack," Hayley squeezed his hand. "I'll wait in the car." she kissed him on the cheek and walked around to the passenger side before getting in.

"What is it Angela?" Zack asked.

"I missed you," the words slipped out before she could stop them.

"Are you kidding me?" Zack shook his head. "We haven't said anything to each other for the last eight months and now that I have a girlfriend, you miss me? This is bogus. You know, if you had told me those words seven months ago, I would've been happy, but not now. I moved on Angela."

"We were good together," Angela said.

"Key word being "were"," Zack said. "We're over...have been for a long time. I'm happy now, so please, let's just go back to what we were doing which was not talking. See you around." with that, he turned and got in his car.

"Kim just called," Hayley said, "Her dad just called and said the Jury was back from deliberations."

"That was fast," Zack said as he started the car.

"I know," Hayley nodded. "Hopefully, it's a good thing."

"Hopefully," Zack nodded and the two hurried back to their friends.

~...~

The others were getting ready to leave when Zack and Hayley showed up.

"Anyone know what's going on?" Zack asked.

"No," Karone shook her head. "Dad just called and said to be at the courthouse."

"Let's go then," Hayley said and the friends pulled out of the parking lot.

They arrived at the courthouse in good time and met Ken at the doors.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked as they got close.

"They're back with their decision," Ken said. "I have to say, it's one of the quickest deliberations I have ever seen."

"That's a good thing right?" Penny asked as she and Hugh walked up to them.

"For him, no," Ken said as he led the way inside. "For us, yes."

Everyone took their seats and waited for the judge. Michael and his lawyer were already there and Michael was sending smirks towards Kat. When they were told to be seated, Judge Lucas turned to Michael. "Will the defendant please rise?"

When Michael and Jonathan stood up, Judge Lucas turned to the jurors. "Have the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have your honor," the foreman stood up.

"I must say," Judge Lucas said. "I have never seen a jury deliberate that quickly."

"Even we your honor," the foreman said, "could see the truth in this case. It was not that hard for all us to reach a conclusion."

"Very well then," Judge Lucas nodded. "What say you?"

"By a unanimous vote," the foreman said, "we the jury find the defendant Michael Alexander Davis guilty in the rape and attack of Katherine Hillard."

Immediately, the courtroom erupted with noise. Kat's side cheered while Michael's side looked both resigned and angry.

"WHAT?" Michael roared. "THAT CAN'T BE! THE BITCH WANTED IT! I SHOULD'VE KILLED YOU!"

"Order, order in the court," Judge Lucas shouted. "Bailiff, retain Mr. Davis into custody; sentencing will be in one week. This court is adjourned."

"Oh my God," Kat whispered as she looked down at the table, her tears making small splashes on the table.

"It's over sweetie," Penny said as she knelt down to her daughter's level.

"Thank you," Hugh held out his hand to Ken.

"No thanks needed," Ken said.

"About payment," Hugh started, only to be stopped by Ken.

"My boss covered it," Ken smiled. "After he learned what was going on, he said it would be a regular work pay for me. So it's fine."

"I truly don't know how to thank you for everything you've done," Hugh said emotionally.

"Like I said," Ken smiled. "I was happy to help." He collected his papers and closed his briefcase. After saying goodbye to his kids, he left to go back to the office.

"It's over," Penny whispered once more as she hugged Kat. Kim and the others joined in the hug, each relishing the thought that Michael would be out of their lives once and for all and that maybe now, they could truly start healing their friend.

* * *

**A/N 3: **so, how did you guys like it? this chapter doesn't have much romance, though I hope you guys liked the bit that did show, including the new couple *smiles*. This chapter was mainly about the trial and I know it was really short, but I didn't want to prolong it...and I didn't really know much about them either...

* * *

Anyways, read and review and let me know what you guys think...


	12. Ch 10: We Just Want to Have Fun

**A/N: **hey guys…it's the next chapter. Reason why it took so long to get out was because I was trying to find the right songs as well as get the lyrics. So I had to make sure they're not "future" songs, but songs from '97 backwards. Anyways, hope you guys like it…

**O.P.D.: **Saturday 18th December, '10

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

"_It's over," Penny whispered once more as she hugged Kat. Kim and the others joined in the hug, each relishing the thought that Michael would be out of their lives once and for all and that maybe now, they could truly start healing their friend._

* * *

It's been a few months since the trial; school had started back up on January 10th and the teens, and Hayley, had started in better spirits than they had left. Michael had been sentenced to ten years in prison without the possibility of parole. It was now the beginning of April and coincidentally the last week of school before Easter Break.

The group of friends was sitting in their homeroom; it was their last class for the day, Earth Science and it was taught by Mrs. Appleby, their homeroom teacher.

Kim, as always, was sitting between her brother and Tommy, with Aisha next to Rocky and Tanya, Adam and Trini, the latter between her brother and Jason, were in front of Kim, Zhane was sitting behind them with his arm around Karone, Mitch was leaning against the window, with Hayley and Zack sitting in the seats next to him while Billy and Kat sat next to Tanya, to the upper right of Kim; Billy had his arm around her shoulder, while Kat held on to his other hand. The two had become a couple back in February on Valentine's Day.

_Flashback_

_Two days before Valentine's Day (Wednesday)_

_Billy sighed nervously as he looked in at the girl he loved; give him a mathematical or a computer problem and he would solve it with ease, but to actually tell the girl he loved of his feelings, it sent him into a spiral of fear and nervousness. So it was a good thing he was getting help. He couldn't but to let out a deep breath filled with relief at seeing Kim exit the youth center._

"_Are you ok?" Kim asked as she walked up to him._

"_," he said in one breath._

"_Billy," Kim giggled. "Slow down and say that again."_

_He did as she asked. "I require your help in purchasing a gift for Katherine to express my feelings towards her."_

"_Sure," Kim smiled. "What do you have in mind?"_

"_I have no idea," Billy admitted._

"_Well come on," Kim said after a moment of silence._

"_What?" Billy asked as he allowed her to pull him towards her mom's car which she, Andros, Karone and Zhane were using for the day. _

"_We're going to the mall so that you can get a gift for Kat," Kim told him as she unlocked the car for them to get in. _

_They talked on the way to the mall; they got there in twenty minutes and after parking, Kim grabbed Billy's hand and dragged him inside…much to his consternation and amusement._

_They walked the mall, going through the different stores before Kim stopped outside a jewelry store._

"_Here?" Billy looked at the store a little apprehensively._

"_Yep," Kim flashed him a smile. "Trust me; in here, you'll definitely find something and it won't be expensive either."_

"_I trust you," Billy sighed._

"_I know," Kim smiled again, "now let's go."_

_They looked around for a while before Billy came upon what he thought was the perfect gift for Kat; it was a necklace with a kitten nestled in what looked to be slippers…ballet slippers to be exact. "Perfect." The word escaped on a note filled with breathless excitement._

"_I guess you found a gift?" Kim asked as she walked up to him._

"_What do you think?" Billy gestured to the necklace._

"_It's perfect Billy," Kim smiled. "I think…no, I know she'll love it."_

_(Valentine's Day—Friday)_

_Billy tapped his finger nervously against his thigh; he was waiting along with the test of his male friends, the junior guys, for the girls and the sophomore students. He had heard the guys talking about getting their girlfriends something for Valentine's Day and they had asked if he had gotten anything for Kat, but he hadn't shown them; the only one he had shown was Tommy. _

"_Hey guys," Trini called when she and the other girls walked over to them, behind them were the sophomore students. It was tradition at AGHS for the students to only have a half day if Valentine's Day fell on a school week. _

"_Ernie's right?" TJ asked as he came to a stop._

"_Yep," Jason nodded. "Let's go."_

_The group headed towards the parking lot where they got in their cars and drove to Ernie's; there, they met Hayden._

"_Hey Al," Kim and Hayley called out when they saw him._

"_Hey sis," Hayden smiled at them before his gaze drifted to his boyfriend. "Mitchie."_

"_Hayden," Mitch rolled his eyes as the girls snickered as he walked over to his boyfriend. "I thought I said not to call me that?"_

"_I know," Hayden smiled as he pressed a quick kiss to Mitch's lips. "But it's just adorable seeing the look on your face when I do."_

_The gang laughed and headed inside; as Kat was going in, Billy walked over and gently held her arm._

"_Kat," he started nervously, "can I talk to you for a minute?"_

"_Sure Billy," Kat smiled at him; she hoped he was going to talk to her about what she thought he was. Kim had told her, as well as the other girls, that Billy had strong feelings for her. At first, she had denied, stating he wouldn't want to be with her after what happened, but then she had remembered when she had seen the look of longing in his eyes that day in the hallway._

"_Come on," Billy reached for her hand and held it, leading her to one of the benches in the parking lot. He looked back and saw Kim smiling at him encouragingly with a nod before she disappeared inside. He turned back to the Australian blonde. _

"_What is it Billy?" Kat asked. _

"_Uhm," Billy sighed and looked away before looking back at Kat; he bit his lip before letting out another sigh and grabbing Kat's hands. "Kat, I know you think you don't deserve someone after everything that's happened and I know you might think that I'm only doing this because I feel sorry for you, but that's not it. I…uh…I really like you Kat…no, I love you and I was wondering if you'd…if you'd consent to…Kat will you be my girlfriend?"_

"_Oh Billy," Kat withdrew one of her hand and covered her mouth with it before dropping it. "Do you mean that?"_

"_Yes I do," Billy nodded, "so, will you?"_

"_Yes!" Kat squealed as she hugged him; it was a major step for her to reach the point where she could hug her friends without flinching, but credit was due to not only him, but to Kim as well._

"_Great," Billy smiled in relief before reaching into his pocket. "Here; I bought this for you. I wasn't sure what you wanted so I asked for some help. I hope you like it."_

_Kat took the box and when she opened it, she let out a shocked and awe-filled gasp. She lifted the necklace from the box and looked at it. "Billy…it's beautiful. Thank you."_

"_You're welcome," Billy smiled and he held out his hand for the necklace. When she gave it to him, she turned around and he placed it around her neck, closing the clasp with a smile playing on his face._

_Kat looked down at the necklace resting on her neck, her fingertips caressing the pendant. She looked back up at Billy with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much…I love it." she leaned closer and kissed him; it was their very first kiss together and it was perfect._

"So what are we going to do today?" Zack asked, breaking Billy out of his memory.

"What we always do," Rocky laughed. "Go to Ernie's, then hang out at the park before heading back to Ernie's for a quick snack and then we go home."

"Sounds good," Zack said and everyone laughed.

"Two weeks off from school," Kim smiled, "I so can't wait."

"Why do I have the feeling most of that time will be spent at the mall?" Tommy groaned.

"You'd be right," Tanya laughed.

"Don't be such a baby Tommy," Kim scolded her boyfriend. "It won't be that bad."

"Of course not," Zhane shook his head. "Kim, it's you and Karone and all the rest of the girls…I know it's going to be bad."

"Especially since there'll be all sorts of Easter sales going on," Andros added.

"Whatever," Kat laughed, and her friends delighted in the fact that their blonde friend was able to do so more often these days. "You guys know you're still going to come, so I don't see why you're complaining now."

"It's our prerogative as males to complain," Billy answered and that sent them into more peals of laughter.

~…~

Across the room, Angela watched the group with a frown, her gaze lingering on Zack and his arm around Hayley's shoulder, her gaze become more pronounced. She still couldn't believe that Zack had actually started dating someone; he hadn't since they broke up and she had liked that. She knew how much he had wanted to be with her since from eighth grade and thought that she could date around, knowing he'd still be there wanting to be with her. She did not factor in him dating anyone, or if she did, she thought he'd break up with the person and come back to her when she told she wanted him back.

She glared at Hayley, blaming the redhead for everything. _'I can't believe he's actually dating her! She's not even that pretty; how could he choose to stay with her when I told him I was willing to give him a second chance?'_

~…~

"Uh oh," Aisha shook her head. "Angela's glaring pretty heavily at you Hayles."

Everyone took a quick look at the girl in question and saw that she was indeed glaring holes into Hayley.

"Why is she doing that?" Zhane asked.

"She dated Zack here for a while," Mitch answered, "but then broke things off with him. And my guess is, now that Zack has moved on with the lovely Hayley, she wants him back."

"But why?" Andros asked.

"Well," Zack answered, "I've liked her since eighth grade, but she didn't really give me a chance at first. Then she did, and we started dating, but she broke things off last year saying I was too immature for her. I think she thought I'd always be there waiting in the wings whenever she got over herself, and she doesn't like the fact that I'm now dating someone else."

"So, she what?" Zhane shook his head, "Hopes you'll break up with Hayley and come back to her?"

"From the sounds of it," Kim said, "it doesn't seem to me like she truly wants Zack back; I mean, it sounds like she just doesn't like him dating someone other than her."

"You could be right," Tommy nodded.

"Well that's just too bad for her," Hayley said. "I like Zack a lot and I also like being his girlfriend and I don't plan on giving that up."

"That's my girl," Zack smiled before he laughed at the catcalls coming from the guys.

"Is that a blush?" Jason teased.

"Shut up," Hayley muttered even as she threw a wad of paper at him; her blush intensified when everyone else started laughing.

~…~

The rest of the week moved very quickly and before they knew it, it was Friday; their last day of school before break. Once again, it was the last two sessions for the morning as they were having a half day. The students would be in their classes or wherever they wanted, provided they didn't make too much noise. As it was, the juniors and seniors had decided to head out to the theatre.

"What are we going to do here?" A junior who had shoulder length dark hair, dark blue eyes wand was wearing a jean mini skirt with a blue spaghetti top with a jean jacket over it asked.

"Anything we want Veronica," Mitch answered as he shook his head in exasperation; sometimes he thought Veronica was a moron…though he never told her that straight to her face.

"Hey hey," Zack said as he walked over to the stage. "Why don't we have a little friendly singing competition?"

"Sounds like fun," Midge, a senior girl with short dark hair and dark brown eyes, said.

"I'm game if you guys are," Trini said as she walked over to the stage.

"This should be fun," Archie, a freckled-face redheaded senior, clapped his hands together.

The rest of the junior and senior students made their way closer to the stage.

"Anyone know how to play the piano?" Rocky gestured to the piano.

"I do," Betty, a blue-eye blonde, raised her hand as she made her way over to it.

"Hey guys," Reggie, a dark haired senior, called out. "I found a set of drums."

"Oh I can play those," Damien, a brown-haired junior said as he walked over to where Reggie was standing.

"And I'll play the guitar," Reggie said as he took up the guitar he found lying next to the drums set.

"Great," Tanya laughed, "We have a full band."

"So, who's going first?" Vanessa, a junior girl, asked.

"I'll go," Veronica smirked as she went to stand on the stage; she picked up the mike and looked back at the "band". "You guys know _"Keep On Loving You" _by REO SPEEDWAGON, right?"

"Yeah," the band answered.

"Good," Veronica turned back to her "audience". "Play it."

When the music started, so did Veronica; down in the audience, Kim and the others shook their heads.

"Can you believe that girl?" Tanya asked. "You know she's showing off, right?"

"When is she _not _showing off?" Kat raised an eyebrow.

"True," Tanya laughed.

"Bitch," Kim muttered beneath her breath, though her comment was heard by the others causing them to laugh; Veronica had never liked her from the first day they had a class together. For some reason, the tall, dark haired brunette had a grudge against Kim and would make snide comments whenever she saw the petite brunette. It became even worse when Kim and Tommy started dating; it was no secret that Veronica herself had wanted Tommy.

"She's done," Adam chuckled. "You girls, especially you Kim, can retract your claws."

"Thank God," Kim clasped her hands together in the prayer position and raised her eyes heavenward drawing even more laughter from her friends and a shaking of the head from her brother.

"Let's listen to the others singing," Hayley said and they turned back to the stage.

~…~

By the time half the senior and junior class had gone, they theatre had gotten more people; other students had wandered into the auditorium and having seen what was going on, had alerted their friends. Soon enough, the friends were joined by Karone and the rest of the sophomore gang.

The songs ranged from Michael Jackson's _Bad, Thriller, Billie Jean and Smooth Criminal _to Air Supply, a few Bob Marley hits, White Snake, U2, Kiss and Marvin Gaye; it was turning into quite the contest as the audience members would "boo" and "cheer" the most horrible and the best. Angela had gone up and had sang Whitney Houston's _I Will Always Love you, _which prompted Zack to go up and sing Michael Jackson's _Leave me Alone; _needless to say, she got the message.

"We'll be back," Rocky said as he, Mitch, Zhane and Zack got up.

"Oh no," Aisha groaned as she buried her face in her hands.

"What are you guys going to do?" Karone asked.

"You'll see," Zhane smirked and the four boys made their way to the stage.

Rocky went over to the band and told them the song; they started laughing, but nodded to let him know they'd do it.

"Alright," Mitch said into the mic, "it's our turn now."

"We will be performing a song," Zack picked up, "we know you all know and love."

"Here we go," Zhane said before the boys stepped into a line; the music started.

_Can't touch this  
Can't touch this  
Can't touch this  
Can't touch this_

_My, my, my, my music hits me so hard_  
_Makes me say oh my Lord_  
_Thank you for blessing me_  
_With a mind to rhyme and two hyped feet_  
_Feels good when you know you're down_  
_A superdope homeboy from the Oaktown_  
_And I'm known_  
_as such_  
_And this is a beat uh you can't touch_

The audience went quiet for a few seconds before chaos broke up; laugher erupted as the students fell off their seats laughing at the four guys on the stage singing the song and dancing the moves.

_I told you homeboy, can't touch this_  
_Yeah, that's how we livin' and ya know,_  
_can't touch this_  
_Look in my eyes man, can't touch this_  
_Yo let me bust the funky lyrics, you can't touch this_

_Fresh new kicks and pants_  
_You got it like that now you know wanna dance_  
_So move out of your seat_  
_And get a fly girl and catch this beat_  
_While it's rollin' hold on_  
_Pump a little bit and let them know it's going on_  
_Like that, like that_  
_Cold on a mission so fall on back_  
_Let 'em know that you're too much_  
_And this is a beat uh they can't touch_

"Oh…my…God," Trini managed out between her laughter; she couldn't continue what she was going to say as she was too busy clutching her sides, which hurt from the laughing she was doing.

"That aint my man," Aisha said which made the friends laugh even harder. On the stage, the boys just kept smiling, singing and dancing.

_Yo I told you, can't touch this_  
_Why you standing there man, can't touch this_  
_Yo sound the bell school is in sucker_  
_, can't touch this_

_Give me a song or rhythm_  
_Making no sweat that's what I'm giving 'em_  
_So now they know_  
_You talk about the Hammer when you're talking 'bout a show_  
_That's hyped and tight_  
_Singers are sweatin' so pass them a wipe_  
_Or a tape to learn_  
_What it's gonna take in the 90's to burn_  
_The charts legit_  
_Either work hard or you might as well quit_

_That's word because you know_

_Can't touch this_  
_Can't touch this_  
_Break it down!_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_Stop! Hammer time!_

"Oh…oh…you gotta be…you gotta be freaking kidding me," Jason laughed as he fell sideways into Tommy.

"I don't believe this shit," Tommy laughed as he held onto Jason.

Adam was too busy rolling on the floor to even offer anything up.

_Go with the flow it is said_  
_If you can't move to this then you probably are dead_  
_So wave your hands in the air_  
_Bust a few moves run your fingers through your hair_  
_This is it for a winner_  
_Dance to this and you're gonna get thinner_  
_Now move slide your rump_  
_Just for a minute let's all do the bump_

_Bump bump bump yeah, you can't touch this_  
_Look man, can't touch this_  
_You'll probably get hyped boy 'cause you know you can't, can't touch this_  
_Ring the bell school's back in, break it down!_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_Stop! Hammer time!_

_Can't touch this_  
_Can't touch this_  
_Can't touch this_  
_Break it down!_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_  
_Stop! Hammer time!_

Rocky, Mitch, Zack and Zhane looked at each other, each delighting in what was happening, before they concentrated back on the song; they knew that choosing to sing it would have this type of reaction and they reveled in it.

_Every time you see me, that Hammer's just so hype_  
_I'm dope on the floor and I'm magic on the mic_  
_Now why would I ever stop doing this_  
_With others makin' records that just don't hit_  
_I toured around the world from London to The Bay_  
_It's Hammer go Hammer MC Hammer Yo Hammer and the rest can go and play_

By now, the rest of the students in the audience had gotten themselves under control and had joined in with the last leg of the song.

_Can't touch this  
Can't touch this  
Can't touch this  
Yea, Can't touch this  
I told you, can't touch this  
Too hype can't touch this  
Get me outta here, you can't touch this_

As the music died out, the four boys bowed as the students erupted into applause, the sound almost deafening. The four made their way off the stage and back to their friends, getting slaps on their backs as they passed by the students.

"Oh man," Adam had recovered enough to sit in a chair. "You guys are nuts."

"But you love us," Zack chuckled.

"So who's gonna go next?" Zhane asked.

Trini went up and performed Cher's _If I Could Turn Back Time; _the crowd, her friends the loudest, applauded her and she bowed before going back to her seat.

"I'll go," Kim smiled and got up, moving between her friends and made her way to the stage. On the way, she was stopped by Veronica, who had a snide comment ready.

"Shorty thinks she can sing," Veronica scoffed. "Don't embarrass yourself up there; not everyone can sing like me."

Kim ignored her, though all she wanted to do was to punch her and break her nose, but she decided not to; with a smirk, she continued on her way. She wasn't the type to boast, but she had been told that she had a really good singing voice and since no one but her brother, her sister, Hayley and Zhane had ever heard her sing, though her friends knew she could, they would be shocked.

When she got on stage, she headed to the band and told them the song; it was fairly new, coming out a year or so ago, so they knew it. Smiling, Kim made her way over to the microphone.

"Hey guys," she said, "I know this song is meant for lovers, but I thought it'd be perfect to sing. It's for someone who's always been there for me for as long as I can remember; they've been my rock, my protector, my supporter…they've been there for me through everything I have gone through and this is my thanks.

[Verse 1]_  
For all those times you stood by me  
For all the truth that you made me see  
For all the joy you brought to my life  
For all the wrong that you made right  
For every dream you made come true  
For all the love I found in you  
I'll be forever thankful __brother__  
You're the one who held me up  
Never let me fall  
You're the one who saw me through...through it all_

In the audience, Veronica sat stunned as she listened to Kim.

[Chorus]_  
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

[Verse 2]_  
You gave me wings and made me fly  
You touched my hand I could touch the sky  
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me  
You said no star was out of reach  
You stood by me and I stood tall  
I had your love I had it all  
I'm grateful for each day you gave me  
Maybe I don't know that much  
But I know this much is true  
I was blessed because I was loved by you_

Andros smiled up at his twin; he knew immediately what song she was going to sing because when it had came out last year, Kim had fell in love with it and had sung it to him, saying it was her song to him.

Their friends looked at Kim in awe before looking at Andros.

"It's for you isn't it?" Kat asked even as her eyes moved back to the stage.

"Yeah," Andros nodded.

"At first I thought it was for Tommy," Billy said, "but then I listened and I realized it couldn't be him, so it left you as the only one it could be."

"I never knew she cherished you so much," Mitch smiled. "It's amazing."

"I feel the same," Andros smiled before focusing back on his sister.

[Chorus]_  
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

[Bridge]_  
You were always there for me  
The tender wind that carried me  
A light in the dark shining your love into my life  
You've been my inspiration  
Through the lies you were the truth  
My world is a better place because of you_

Kim looked down at her brother and friends with a smile; she knew that some might thought she meant Tommy, but as much as she loved him and as strongly as she felt about him, her twin had been the one to always be there for her no matter what.

[Chorus]_  
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'coz you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me_

_I'm everything I am_  
_Because you loved me_

When she was finished, the students applauded and to Veronica's consternation, it was louder, way louder, than hers had been.

Kim walked off the stage and headed back to her seat; when she got there, Andros pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks," he whispered in her ear. "It's the same for me too."

"I know," Kim smiled, "and you're welcome."

"Wow girl," Zack said, "You told us you could sing, but, you were amazing."

"Thanks," Kim blushed a little.

"So who's gonna go?" Curtis asked.

Kim leaned over and whispered into Trini's ear, who then whispered into Aisha's, while Kim whispered into Tanya's ear, who whispered into Cassie, allowing Trini to whisper in Ashley's ear while Aisha whispered to Karone and Kim, finally, whispered to Hayley.

The eight girls then smiled at each other before getting up and moving to the stage.

"Did anybody get that?" Zack asked.

"No," Tommy shook his head and watched, along with the others, as the girls walked onto the stage.

"Hi," Aisha smiled. "I'm sure you guys know of what happened over Christmas break to our friend Katherine," the students nodded and some looked at Kat in sympathy and gave her small smiles.

"Well, we decided to sing this song for her," Tanya picked up, "to let her know she will always have her friends to stand by her."

"We hope you like it Kat," Trini smiled as she looked at the others before they turned back to the audience.

[Chorus]_  
Count on me through thick and thin  
A friendship that will never end  
When you are weak  
I will be strong  
Helping you to carry on  
Call on me, I will be there  
don't be afraid  
Please believe me when I say  
Count on..._

Kat felt tears come to her eyes as she heard the song; listening to it reminded her of Kim and how she had stuck by her even after everything she had done. Kim had been the one to find her and had been the one she turned to feel safe. It was Kim that had made her friends forgive her for what she had done to Tommy and that was why they had rallied around her so and she was beyond thankful for that.

[Verse 1]_  
I can see it's hurting you, I can feel your pain  
It's hard to see the sunshine through the rain  
I know sometimes it seems as if it's never gonna end  
But you'll get through it just don't give in  
'cause you can_

[Chorus]_  
Count on me (mm) through thick and thin  
A friendship that will never end (ah)  
When you are weak I will be strong  
Helping you to carry on  
Call on me, I will be there  
Don't be afraid  
Please believe me when I say  
Count on...  
You can count on me_

Tommy and the others looked at the girls on stage before they looked at Kat. They knew that there had been times over the past few months when she had wanted to give in to the despair from the rape and just let it overwhelm her, but they hadn't let that happen. They had been there for her and had told her over and over that it wasn't her fault and that there was nothing she could've done.

[Verse 2]_  
Oh yes you can (ah)  
Ohhhh, I know sometimes it seems as if  
We're standing all alone  
But we'll get through it  
'Cause love won't let us fall_

Kat let out a tearful chuckle and smiled at Billy when he squeezed her hand.

"You ok?" Billy asked as he wiped her tears.

"Yes," Kat nodded. "Just the words to the song, you know? It applies directly to us."

"Yes it does," Jason nodded as did the other guys.

[Chorus]_  
Count on me (count on me, I'll be there) through thick and thin  
A friendship that will never end  
When you are weak I will be strong (I'll be strong)  
Helping you to carry on (yes, you know)  
Call on me, I will be there  
Don't be afraid  
Please believe me when I say  
Count on...  
Count on..._

[Bridge]_  
There's a place inside all of us where our faith in love begins  
You should reach to __find__ the truth in love, the answers' there within, oh  
I know that life can make you feel it's much harder than it really is  
But we'll get through it (we'll get through it)  
(Just) Just (don't) don't give in (oh)_

[Chorus]_  
Count on me (count on me) through thick and thin  
A friendship that will never end (it'll never end)  
When you are weak (you) I will be strong (I will be strong)  
Helping you to carry on  
Call on me, I will be there  
Don't be afraid (don't be afraid now)  
Please believe me when I say  
__Count on (X5)  
Count on me  
Oh yes you can  
I know I can  
Yes you can  
Well so glad I can...count on me_

The song ended and everyone clapped; the hardest being Kat and the guys.

"You loved it?" Ashley asked as she and the other girls joined their friends.

"Yes," Kat nodded as she hugged Kim, followed by hugging the rest of the girls.

"Well," Tommy stood up, as did the rest of the boys. "I guess it's our turn to give it a try."

"What are you guys going to sing?" Cassie asked.

"You'll see," Jason smiled.

"As long as it's not another _"Can't Touch This"," _Trini laughed.

"No promises," Andros laughed.

The guys made their way to the stage followed by cheers from the rest of the students.

"Ok," Billy said, "We weren't going to sing at all, but then we decided to and we chose this song."

"It's for our girls," Rocky said, "and guy," he looked at Mitch, "and we wanted them to know how much we cared about them."

The girls smiled happily in the audience as they listened to their guys.

"So," Tommy picked up, "we thought this song would be perfect for you girls."

"Here it is," TJ smiled.

[Verse 1]_  
Yeah...Oh yes...Ohhh...yeah...  
Can this be true? Tell me, can this be real?  
How can I put into words what I feel?  
My life __was __complete__ I thought I was whole  
Why do I feel like I'm losing control?  
I never thought that love could feel like this  
and you've changed my world with just one kiss.  
How can it be that right here with me there's an angel?  
It's a miracle..._

[Chorus]_  
Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep  
your soul is like a secret that I never could keep.  
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true  
God must have spent...a little more time on you...  
(A little more time, yes he __did __baby__)_

"I didn't know Tommy could sing," Kim remarked, "or any of the other guys for that matter…they sound really good."

"Yes they do," Hayley agreed with a smile. "We're very lucky aren't we?"

The girls saw Veronica looking back at them in disbelief and anger and they smiled.

"Yes we are," Trini nodded.

[Verse 2]_  
In all of creation all things great and small  
You are the one that surpasses them all  
More precious than any diamond or pearl  
They broke the mold when you came in this world  
And I'm trying hard to figure out  
Just how I ever did without the warmth of your smile  
The heart of a child that's deep inside  
Leaves me purified_

[Chorus]_  
Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep (and deep)  
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep  
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true  
God must have spent...a little more time on you..._

[Bridge]_  
Never thought that love could feel like this  
and you changed my world with just one kiss.  
How can it be that right here with me there's an angel?  
It's a miracle..._

[Chorus]_  
Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep (peaceful and deep)  
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep  
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true  
God must have spent...a little more time on you...  
(On you, on you, on you, you...)  
God must have spent...a little more time on you  
(on you, on you...you...you...oooh...yeah)  
A little more time on you...ohhh_

_(On you, on you, on you, you...on you, on you, on you, you...) ohhh..._  
_(On you, on you, on you, you...on you, on you, on you, you...) yeah..._

The applause was almost as deafening as when Zack and the others had performed MC Hammer's song, as this time, the loudest cheering came from all the girls.

The guys flushed a little as they bowed and headed off the stage. When they got to where the girls were, all were pulled into kisses, resulting in catcalls from everyone else. Mitch, since he didn't have anyone to kiss as Hayden wasn't there, was kissed by the girls.

"Guys," Hayley smiled as she wrapped an arm around Zack's waist. "That was amazing."

"Thank you, thank you very much," Zhane and Rocky replied.

"You guys are unbelievable," Ashley laughed.

"You know what?" Kim smirked at Kat. "I think it's Kat turn and I have the perfect song for her."

"What?" Kat shook her head. "No way."

"Yes," Aisha nodded.

"Oh definitely girl," Trini smiled, "you have to sing."

"You guys want me to get up on stage and sing?" Kat looked at her friends and for help from her boyfriend.

"yes," Billy nodded.

"Besides," Tanya chuckled, "All of us did."

"Alright fine," Kat said in defeat, though she was smiling. "What song do you want me to sing?"

"Tina Turner's _"What's Love Got to do With It"_," Kim said.

"Hmmm," Kat raised an eyebrow while the others smiled.

"Fine," Kat said. "I'll go after that group is over."

While they were talking, some sophomores had gone up and was singing Shania Twain's _"I feel Like A Woman". _

They applauded when the girls were over and then they turned to Kat.

"Oh alright," the blonde rolled her eyes and started making her way to the stage.

"Love you Kat," Tanya called out, followed by Kim, Trini and Aisha.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…whatever," Kat laughed as she walked to the stage. "Ok, my friends thought it'd be best if they forced me up here to sing, so here I am." She turned to the band and told them the song. "I'm not much of a singer, but here goes;

[Verse 1]_  
You must understand  
That the touch of your hand  
Makes my pulse react  
That it's only the thrill  
Of boy meeting girl  
Opposites attract_

[Chorus]_  
Oh what's love got to do, got to do with it  
What's love but a second hand emotion  
What's love got to do, got to do with it  
Who needs a heart  
When a heart can be broken_

_It's physical_  
_Only logical_  
_You must try to ignore_  
_That it means more than that_

As Kat sang, she was reminded of everything that she went through with Michael, from start to horrible finish; they were opposites, dealing with lust and anger and revenge and she had gave in to that. Though she understood that what happened she couldn't blame herself for, a part of her knew she could; while Michael had played on her emotions, she was the one to start by not talking with Tommy and Kim in the first place. It was something that she was still dealing with.

[Verse 2]_  
It may seem to you  
That I'm acting confused  
When you're close to me  
If I tend to look dazed  
I've read it someplace  
I've got cause to be_

[Chorus]

[Bridge]_  
I've been taking on a new direction  
But I have to say  
I've been thinking about my own protection  
It scares me to feel this way_

_There's a name for it_  
_There's a phrase that fits_  
_But whatever the reason_  
_You do it for me_

_What's love got to do, got to do with it_  
_What's love but a sweet old fashioned notion_  
_What's love got to do, got to do with it_  
_Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken_

Everyone knew what had happened to Kat as the trial and the rape had been in the papers, so as it was, everyone cheered when the song was over; they thought it was perfect for her to sing, even though there was some irony to it.

"You enjoyed that didn't you?" Curtis said when the blonde got back to them.

"Maybe," Kat smiled.

"Whoa," Hayley said when she looked at the clock. "It's almost time to go. I can't believe the time flew by so fast."

"What do you girls say to one last song?" Cassie smiled.

"What do you have in mind?" Aisha asked.

"Let's just have fun," Cassie said and the girls smiled when they caught on to what song she was talking about.

"Let's do it," Kim clapped her hands and the girls made their way to the stage.

"Hey guys," Trini said. "We saw that it was almost time to go…"

"…so we thought we'd do one last song," Tanya continued.

"It's one of our favorites," Kim picked up.

"And we hope it's one of yours too," Aisha added.

"This one's for all the girls," Kat said and the girls in the audience cheered.

[Verse 1]_  
I come home in the morning light  
My mother says when you gonna live your life right  
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones  
And girls they want to have fun  
Oh girls just want to have fun__The phone__ rings in the middle of the night  
My father yells what you gonna do with your life  
Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one  
But girls they want to have fun  
Oh girls just want to have fun_

The girls in the audience cheered even louder and they started singing along.

[Chorus]_  
That's all they really want  
Some fun  
When the working day is done  
Girls - they want to have fun  
Oh girls just want to have fun_

[Verse 2]_  
Some boys take a beautiful __girl__  
And hide her away from the rest of the world  
I want to be the one to __walk in__ the sun  
Oh girls they want to have fun  
Oh girls just want to have_

[Chorus]_  
That's all they really want  
Some fun  
When the working day is done  
Girls - they want to have fun  
Oh girls just want to have fun,  
They want to have fun,  
They want to have fun..._

The auditorium erupted into applause, as deafening as when Zack, Zhane, Mitch and Rocky had performed.

"Thank you," The girls said as one; they helped cleared away the stage as the students filed out until only their boys were left.

"Congrats," Jason clapped, "you girls were awesome."

"Thank you," Trini smiled as she allowed him to help her off the stage.

"Of course we are," Aisha shook her head.

The friends headed to the exit.

"Remember the look on Angela's face when Zack sang _"Leave me Alone"?_" Rocky laughed.

"I hope she got the message," Hayley scowled; she didn't appreciate the fact that Angela couldn't seem to understand Zack didn't want her anymore.

"Don't worry Hayles," Kim moved to hug her. "If she tries anything, well, we'll just kick her ass."

"Too true," Trini agreed and the girls laughed, while the guys shook their heads.

~…~

When they got to the parking lot, they saw Hayden leaning against his car, three girls surrounding him.

"What the hell?" Mitch scowled even as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"If I were you," Cassie said, "I'd show those girls just who Al belongs to."

"Oh I will," Mitch said as he walked away from them and over to Hayden.

~…~

Hayden looked up and saw his sister and her friends, including his boyfriend; he saw the scowl on Mitch's face and winced internally. He was about to say something to the girls when he saw Mitch walking over.

"Hey Mitch," He greeted. "I wasn't—

He was cut off as Mitch claimed his lips in a kiss; it was slightly rough and dominating and he found himself liking it a bit too much as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist as Mitch's arms went around his neck. The kiss lasted for a few minutes before Mitch pulled away to look at the stunned girls.

"Sorry girls," he smiled, "but he's taken and mine; so piss off."

The girls hurried away, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment and delight.

"You know," Hayden smiled at him. "You being all dominating and macho just now was really hot."

"Please don't start going at it in front of us," Adam pleaded which caused the others to laugh.

"Oh please do," Trini countered with a smile. "That kiss was hot."

"Yes it was," Aisha nodded as she fanned herself.

"I enjoyed it," Kim smiled as did the rest of the girls. "I'd have no problem if you guys wanted to continue."

"Perverts," Rocky muttered, though they all heard him. "All you girls are just perverts."

The girls laughed.

"Come on," Tommy suggested, "Let's go to Ernie's to celebrate our last day of school."

"Sounds good," Hayden nodded.

~…~

At Ernie's the group had pushed three tables together; they figured it was easier than everyone trying to fit in around two.

Ernie had been happy to see them and had brought out trays with food while they relaxed. Ten minutes after they got there, the younger kids showed; their school was over and they had headed to Ernie's as it was closer than the high school.

"Hi guys," Kim waved when she saw them and Nick, no surprise, made a beeline for her.

"Hi guys," Xander walked over, Vida, Maddie and Justin in tow. The kids stood between their siblings.

"What's up?" Adam asked.

"School's out," Vida answered, "so we decided to come here with you guys until mom or dad gets us."

"No problem," Trini nodded with a smile. "You guys hungry?"

"Sure," Maddie nodded.

"Here you go," Trini pushed some of her fries towards the girl while Vida decided to eat from her brother's plate, as did Justin; Nick decided to eat from Kim's.

"Hey," she smiled at him. "Why my plate? Why not Tommy's?"

"Because," Nick shrugged with a smile.

"That's not an answer," Kim laughed.

"You know," Tommy laughed at his girlfriend, "this is one of those times when I'm glad he prefers you to me."

"Shut up," Kim threw a fry at him.

"Love you too Beautiful," Tommy teased.

"Whatever," Kim smiled; every time she heard that nickname, she melted. Tommy had started calling her it a week before Valentine's Day when she had been knocked out accidentally by a football that some guys were throwing around. He had woken her by calling her "Beautiful"; it was straight out of a fairy tale…or so her friends had said.

"Are you guys going to do anything today?" Nick asked as he ate more of Kim's fries.

"Nah," Rocky shook his head. "Tomorrow, the girls are probably gonna drag us shopping, but today, we're just enjoying the day."

"Cool," Justin smiled. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the group doing exactly as they said; enjoying the day.

* * *

**A/N 2: **so how did you guys like it? I know some of you may be disappointed that I didn't expand on Kat's dealing with the aftermath of the rape, but I had a reason for that; whereas in HBC where Kim had two weeks by herself to retreat from the pain and blame herself over and over, here, Kat was surrounded by her friends from the night it happened, so she had a support system immediately.

* * *

**Review responses: **

**ClassivTVfan: **I'm glad you found this story and I'm glad you got hooked; it means I'm doing my job…lol…they're my favorite couples too and I hope you like this one.

**Panthrax: **I fell in love with the T/K storyline as well as it also gave me a look at how relationships could be…I loved it. I stopped watching when Kim left and when I heard about the letter, first thought was bullshit…second was that that letter was so OOC for how they portrayed Kimberly. And I'm glad you love how I kept the "timeline". It's why I chose these songs; they're all from '97 backwards…nothing from '98 or further…

**Purple Dragon Ranger: **I'm glad you love this twist

**VampDgurl: **Thanks for the hug *smiles* she is a feisty little cookie isn't she? And yes, Michael found someone too. Hope you liked the flashback about Billy and Kat

**Ghostwriter: **lol…not it's not

Really hope you guys liked this. The last few chapters have been a bit angst-filled, so I wanted you guys to have something fun and fluffy to read. Read and review and let me know what you thought.

Oh and I'm working a miniseries which will be about some of the missing moments from this story.

**Songs in order of appearance by full lyrics: **_Can't Touch This—_MC Hammer; _Because You Loved Me—_Celine Dion; _Count on Me—_Whitney Houston; _God Must've Spent A Little More Time On You—_N*SYNC; _What's Love Got to Do With It—_Tina Turner; _Girls Just Want to Have Fun—_Cyndi Lauper


	13. Ch 11: Shopping Drama, Sleepover Fun

**A/N:** ok, guys, here's the chapter. It took so long because I had to re-write the ending; I'm still not sure it's fine as it still seems a bit rushed. Anyways, it's just pure fluff, so I hope you guys like it…it's the second to last chapter, so enjoy.

**A/N 2: **I realized that I messed up on the timeline; in canon, the rangers were freshman September '93- '94, sophomores '94- '95, juniors '95- '96 and seniors '96- '97. In this story, without realizing it, I brought everyone a year forward; so that means, they started junior year September '96 and will start senior year September '97 and graduate in May of '98. *hits forehead* I'm such a klutz…anyways…on with the story.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing…duh…

**O.P.D.: **Sunday 16th Jan. '11.

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

"_Whatever," Kim smiled; every time she heard that nickname, she melted. Tommy had started calling her it a week before Valentine's Day when she had been knocked out accidentally by a football that some guys were throwing around. He had woken her by calling her "Beautiful"; it was straight out of a fairy tale…or so her friends had said. _

"_Are you guys going to do anything today?" Nick asked as he ate more of Kim's fries. _

"_Nah," Rocky shook his head. "Tomorrow, the girls are probably gonna drag us shopping, but today, we're just enjoying the day."_

"_Cool," Justin smiled. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the group doing exactly as they said; enjoying the day._

* * *

It was Monday, the first day of their two-week Easter break and the teens found themselves in the parking lot at Ernie's at eight in the morning.

"Why are we here at such an ungodly hour?" Rocky asked as he leaned against his car; his mom had given him her car to use for the day. He had asked them for a car for his birthday, and they had told him they would think about it; he was excited as that meant it was a very huge possibility that they'd say yes.

"To eat," Aisha retorted, "I'm surprised you haven't figured this out as yet seeing as how you love your mouth and your stomach."

"Yes," Rocky grinned, "but not more than I love you."

"Aww," the boys mocked as they laughed.

"Boys," Trini shook her head with a smile. "Come on, I'm sure Ernie already has food waiting for us."

The group of friends made their way inside and saw that Trini was right; Ernie did have food waiting for them.

"Let me guess," Ernie smiled as he sat the trays of eggs, pancakes and biscuits on the table. "You guys are going shopping."

"Yep," Karone nodded as did the other girls as they shared the breakfast platter.

"And they're dragging us with them," Curtis moaned out around his bite of pancakes, to him, and the others, Ernie made some of the best pancakes in town.

"Of course," Ernie laughed as he looked at the teens he considered his own. He turned his attention to his niece. "Hayley, where's that brother of yours? I'd have thought he'd be with you guys."

"He will be," Hayley swallowed before she answered, "He's going to meet us there…something about not wanting to leave Mitch to the mercy of any possible gay guys at the mall."

"As if," Mitch shook his head with a laugh; sometimes his boyfriend was just too much.

"Alright," Ernie smiled, "I'll leave you guys to finish your breakfast."

"Thanks Ernie," TJ said and the group continued eating.

About a half an hour later, they were done; after saying goodbye to Ernie, they made their way back to their cars and headed to the mall.

~…~

The friends stood at the entrance of the mall; the girls all had smiles on their faces, while the boys groaned and wished they were still at home, but since they loved their girlfriends and loved having him as said girlfriends, they said nothing and decided to grin and bear it.

"Ready girls?" Cassie asked.

"Oh yeah," Aisha smiled.

"Let's do this," Kim said and that was the cue they needed as the group moved through the malls.

They went store to store, the girls trying on clothes and jewelry as they went through the shops; soon enough, the boys soon found themselves with bags in their hands.

"Please say it's almost over," Curtis pleaded.

"It's not even lunch yet," Rocky groaned, "and that means they haven't gotten anywhere yet."

Hayden, who had joined up with them an hour ago, shook his head, along with Andros and Zhane.

"Why aren't you complaining?" Billy asked Tommy.

"Ok," Tommy chuckled, "I'm going to sound like a total sap, but it doesn't bother me; as far as I'm concerned, I get to spend more time with my girlfriend doing something she loves. She's always talking about martial arts and MMA competitions with me, so it's nothing for me to do this."

"You're right," Jason grinned, "that does sound sappy."

"Whatever man," Tommy laughed.

"Well what about you guys?" Zack gestured to Hayden, Andros and Zhane.

"Because to us," Andros smiled, "this is nothing. You guys are complaining about spending a few hours at the mall."

"A few hours?" TJ interrupted; he couldn't understand how they could say it the same way one would say a few minutes…as if it wasn't that long.

"We'll be out of here by five at the latest," Zhane explained. "But more than likely even earlier."

"Anyways," Andros continued, "what I was saying was, you guys are complaining about a few hours when we (him, Zhane and Hayden) have spent longer than that in the mall."

"What?" Adam asked as he looked at the three of them.

"Have you guys ever been to the Thanksgiving Black Friday sale?" Hayden asked.

"Yeah," Billy nodded, remembering when his mother would pull him, his brother and his dad with her.

"And how long did you guys stay there?" Zhane asked.

"Well," Zack said, "we'd go in the morning, like at three and would leave at maybe seven later on."

"Same here," Jason and the others agreed.

"You guys are lucky," Andros said, "Kim would drag us there, and by us I meant our parents too, at like midnight and we wouldn't leave until either lunch or mid-afternoon."

The looks of horror on the rest of the boys' faces had the three laughing and that was the scene the girls walked into.

"What's so funny?" Kim asked.

The boys looked at her before looking at each other.

"Are you girls ready to go again?" Adam asked instead.

The girls looked at each other before turning back to the boys, eyebrows raised.

"What?" Rocky asked. "We're not going to complain."

"If you say so," Ashley shook her head.

"Ok," Trini looked around before looking back at her friends. "We're going to go through some more stores and," she looked at her watch, "it's an hour before twelve, so we'll have lunch then. Sounds good?"

"Alright," Mitch looked at the shopping bags, "how about we take these bags to the cars before we continue?"

"Sounds like a plan," Tommy said, "you girls stay here, and we'll take the bags to the cars."

"Ok," Karone nodded. The girls crowded around the tables while the boys headed out to the cars.

"Think they're doing ok?" Cassie asked as she looked to where the guys were.

"Yeah," Tanya waved away her words. "They're ok otherwise they would've complained."

"That is true," Hayley agreed, "but it does seem a little weird that they didn't though…all they did was ask if we're ready to go."

"Hmmm," Kim's brows furrowed before clearing up as she remembered the smug looks on her brothers' faces. "I think I know what happened," at the looks, she smiled and shook her head, "I'd bet anything, Andros, Zhane or Hayden told them of one of our many shopping trips."

"Oh," Hayley and Karone laughed. "Which one do you think they told about?"

"Probably Black Friday," Kim laughed, "I can definitely see why they wouldn't complain."

"Black Friday?" Trini asked. "Spill girl."

"Every Thanksgiving, before we moved here," Karone chuckled, "we would go to the Black Friday sale at like midnight and wouldn't leave until maybe noon that day."

"Holy hell girl!" Aisha and the other girls looked at Kim.

"What?" Kim was slightly defensive. "It was a _huge _shopping day."

"Nothing," Ashley laughed. "Here they come."

"Alright," TJ sighed, "let's do this."

"Andy told you guys about the Black Friday shopping, didn't he?" Kim questioned as she and the other girls stood up from the tables.

"Maybe," Billy hedged.

"It's ok boys," Kat laughed at the look on her boyfriend's face. "You guys don't have to worry; we're not going to make you spend that long in here…at least, not yet."

"Oh man," Zack groaned.

"Come on," Trini laughed and they started once again.

~…~

By the time noon came around, the guys held more bags and everyone was hungry.

"Alright," Aisha said, "why don't we take these bags to the cars and then go get something to eat?"

"I'm down for that," Rocky quickly agreed as he shifted the four bags he had in his hand to grab the two from Aisha.

Once again, the boys took the bags while the girls went to the food court; they would've preferred to eat at Ernie's, but they didn't want to there to come back and go back again at the end of their shopping trip and also because since they _were _shopping, eating in the food court was part of the experience. The boys returned and they ordered lunch, pushing three tables together and sitting. They talked amongst themselves as they ate, laughing and relishing in the relaxed atmosphere. Half an hour later, they were done.

"Time for more shopping," Hayden sighed.

"I was thinking," Kim started, "why don't we get some snacks and have a movie night tonight? We could do what we did Halloween night?"

"What if we just do the whole week like that then?" Karone suggested. "You guys can spend the week at our house, if your parents will let you, and we can have the whole week instead of just one night."

"That should be fun," Curtis smiled. "Ok, so let's finish up shopping so we can let our 'rents know."

"We should split up," Trini suggested, "that way, we'd cover a lot more ground on the snack front and final shopping."

They all agreed and splitting off into groups of twos, threes and fours, they decided to meet at the mall entrance at two o'clock before going their separate ways.

~…~

Kim was walking through a store with her boyfriend, Kat and Billy when a picture caught her eye; she stopped in front of it and saw that it was a box-set for three seasons of a show called _Power Rangers _as well as a movie.

"Hmmm," Kim said as she picked it up and looked it over.

"What is it?" Kat asked as she walked over to her.

"The picture reminded of Andy's Halloween costume," Kim showed Kat the video. "It looks interesting."

Kat took the box-set and read it over, when she was done, she looked at Kim. "Let's get it."

"I was planning to," Kim smiled and went up to the counter to pay.

"What is that?" Tommy asked when she and Kat walked to where he and Billy were.

"A movie," Kim smiled as she leaned up to kiss him on his cheek. "I think you guys will enjoy it."

"We'll see," Tommy smiled.

"You guys ready?" Billy asked. "It's just after one."

"Let's check out a few more stores," Kat suggested, "before we have to meet with the others."

"Sounds good," Tommy said as he grabbed the bag from Kim's hand to hold it and grabbing her hand with his free one. "Let's go."

They left the store and met up with Jason, Trini, Zack and Hayley who was in another clothes store.

"Hey," Hayley smiled when she saw them. "What's up? Where are you guys going?"

"A little bit more shopping," Kat answered. "You guys?"

"We were actually just going to look for you guys," Trini answered. "We're all meeting up soon, so we thought we'd meet up with a group earlier."

"Alright," Kim smiled and gestured to the bags in Trini's hand. "What did you buy?"

"Some shirts," Trini smiled as the group started walking. "I saw them and I couldn't resist."

"What did you guys get?" Jason asked.

"A movie," Kat answered. "It's about this show called _Power Rangers, _Kim picked up it because she thought we might like it."

"Isn't that where Andros, Zhane and Karone got their Halloween ideas from?" Zack asked.

"Yep," Kim nodded.

"Hey," Billy said, "there's Aisha, Rocky, Adam and Tanya."

"Guys!" Trini waved, "over here!"

The four made their way over to the friends.

"Wow," Aisha laughed, "it hasn't even been forty-five minutes good yet and already we've met back up."

"I know right," Kat laughed as did the others. "Well, come on; let's go."

"Who knows," Tanya shrugged with a smile, "we might meet up with the others."

The friends started walking again and true to Tanya's words, they did run into the others.

"Well, since we're all here," Hayden said, "why don't we just head on home? That way, we can start our sleepover week."

"Girls?" Jason and the rest of the boys turned to the girls.

The girls looked at each other before looking back at the boys. "Sure why not? We've got a lot of shopping done and if we miss anything, we can always come back," Aisha said.

"Alright then," Tommy nodded, "let's go."

They had just gotten to the cars when Kim smacked her forehead.

"Oh man," she groaned, "I forgot to get something. I'll be right back."

"I'll come with," Tommy and Andros said as one.

"Guys," Kim smiled, "it's fine. I'll be fine; just give me a few minutes." Kim knew that to anyone else it would seem as if they were overbearing and overprotective, but she didn't mind as she knew why they were acting like that; it made her feel so small and feminine to have them be that way to her even though they knew she could take care of herself.

"Alright," both boys nodded.

Kim smiled once more and turned to go back into the mall. When she got inside, she headed directly to the store she wanted; she bought the charm bracelet she was looking at earlier and headed back to her friends. She had just exit the mall when she was stopped by someone calling her name.

"Kimberly?"

She turned around and her mouth fell open when she saw who it was.

"Alan?" it was the same guy that had put her in the hospital back in her freshman year.

Alan Jacob Stewart stood in front of her looking slightly insecure, reminding Kim of when she had first met him.

"Hey," Alan said as his eyes travelled over Kim's body; it had been a few years since he saw her. After what had happened in their freshman year, because he was underage, he was sent to a Juvenile Detention Center for stalking Kim and causing her stay in the hospital.

"What are you doing here Alan?" Kim asked as she took a slight step backwards; she took a glance towards her brothers, boyfriend and friends.

"I was good," Alan answered as he placed his hands in his pockets. "I didn't come to find you. I'm on a visit with some friends and family."

"Well what do you want?" Kim asked, "I still remember what happened in freshman year."

"So do I," Alan sighed, "And I am sorry."

Kim looked at him.

~…~

"Hey," Cassie spoke up, "who's Kim talking to?"

The others turned to where she was gesturing and saw Kim talking to a guy. Tommy tensed immediately while Andros and Zhane frowned.

Karone frowned, "is that—

"Jake," Andros and Zhane replied.

"Who's Jake?" Rocky asked as he looked at the two before looking back to Kim.

"A guy that went to Bayside High with us," Zhane answered.

"His name is Alan Jacob Stewart," Andros said.

"Alan?" Tommy let out a slight growl at the name before starting to where Kim was, followed by Andros and Zhane.

"What is it?" Jason asked as he and the others followed Tommy and the others.

"He's the guy that caused Kim to be in the hospital in her freshman year," Karone answered.

The group caught up with Kim just second after Tommy, Andros and Zhane got there.

"What's going on here?" Andros growled.

~…~

"Kim," Alan reached out a hand to touch Kim, but let it fall when she stepped back. "I don't blame you."

Kim was going to say something, but was interrupted by her friends.

"What's going on here?" Andros growled.

"Nothing," Alan held up his hands in front of him before stepping back from the group. "I saw Kim walking and I thought—

"You thought what?" Tommy cut him off.

"I…uh…I wanted to apologize," Alan looked away before looking back at Kim. "I wanted to apologize for what happened."

"What?" Kim was shocked; not only because Alan was there but because he was apologizing for what he did. She stepped closer to Tommy and placed a hand on his arm when she saw how tense he was; she smiled slightly when she saw Karone and Ashley do the same to Zhane and Andros.

"The time I spent in juvie," Alan started, "it…forced me to think about things. How I treated you, it wasn't right. You were one of the few girls to actually talk to me and want to be my friend and I guess I allowed myself to read more into it."

"Alan," Kim sighed, "I knew that I didn't truly like you like that, and I never should've encouraged you. I should've kept with my belief in us staying friends."

"Yeah," Alan nodded, "but I pushed you Kim. I was like a stalker…not like, I _was_ a stalker and then when things didn't turn out the way I wanted, I decided to hurt you so you'd know how I was hurt."

"So what are you doing here?" Zack asked.

"Like I told Kim," Alan looked at him, "I wanted to apologize. I realize now that the way I acted was wrong and I am sorry for it."

"I forgave you a long time ago Alan," Kim smiled at him. "You know I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge."

"I can confirm that," Kat injected with a smile.

"My point is," Kim tossed a look at Kat before looking back at Alan, "I've moved past it and I'm glad you realized it was wrong and that you had the courage to ask me for forgiveness."

"Thanks," Alan smiled in relief and moved forward to hug Kim but was stopped when Tommy stepped forward with a growl and Andros glared at him. "Boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Kim shook her head as she pulled Tommy back to stand next to her, keeping his hand in hers. "He's a bit overprotective, but I don't mind."

"Understandable," Alan nodded. "Well, I have to go. I'm really glad I got the chance to apologize. See ya Kim."

"Bye," Kim said and watched him walk away before looking back to her friends.

"So that was Jake?" Aisha raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Kim smiled as she leaned against Tommy's arm. "I called him Alan though."

"I'm glad I didn't meet him back then," Hayden said as he wrapped an arm around Mitch's shoulders. "I'd probably be in jail right now."

"Same here," Tommy agreed.

"Enough about Alan guys," Kim laughed, "let's just get home and enjoy these snacks and movie."

"Movie?" TJ raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see," Kim smiled mysteriously. "So let's go."

The group made their way to their vehicles and left the mall.

~…~

"Hey mom," Karone called out as she and her siblings walked through the house to the kitchen.

"Hey guys," Caroline turned to smile at her kids. "How was your shopping trip?"

"Fun as always," Kim smiled. "Say mom, would it be ok if we have a sleepover week?"

"A sleepover week?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Andros nodded, "we were wondering if the guys could spend the week over here. We'd watch some movies, eat snacks, play some games…"

"…hang out by the pool," Zhane continued, "that kind of thing."

"Sure," Caroline replied after a few minutes of thinking, "I have no problem with it."

"Won't we disturb dad?" Kim asked as she grabbed an apple from the fridge."

"No," Caroline shook her head. "He's leaving tonight to go to Europe to work on a case for the company."

"He's going out of town again?" Karone asked as she leaned against the counter. "But, he just went out of town around Christmas."

"He is a lawyer sweetheart," Caroline smiled at her daughter. "And a damn good one if I do say so myself, and his bosses think so as well which is why they use him so often."

"And that means he's a well paid lawyer," Kim smiled as she bit into her apple. "Maybe it's time I asked daddy for a car."

"Hmmm," Caroline smiled and turned away.

"What's that hmm for?" Zhane looked at her. "Mom?"

"You know something," Andros said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Caroline hid her smile.

"Mom," Karone started in as well, "what do you know?"

"Nothing, nothing," Caroline laughed, "you should talk to your father and you should also go prepare for your friends coming over." with that, she walked out of the kitchen, laughing as her four kids stood behind her puzzled.

~…~

Tommy closed the door to his jeep and walked inside. "I'm home!"

"Hi sweetie," Melissa greeted her son as she came down the stairs.

"Hey mom," Tommy smiled at her. "What are you doing home?"

"I'm off today," Melissa answered as the two walked to the kitchen. "Kim and the girls let you guys go early?"

"Yeah," Tommy laughed. "Hey mom, can I spend the week at Kim's? We want to do a sleepover week so everyone's asking their parents if they can, so can I?"

"Well," Melissa looked at him, "if you don't mind having your brother over there, then yes."

"Why would Nick be there?" Tommy asked.

"Because I have a medical conference to go to and your dad is going with me," Melissa explained. "We're leaving tomorrow morning; Nick is going to be over at Justin's tonight and tomorrow, but you may have to have him with you some time in the week."

"When will you and dad get back?" Tommy asked, wondering how long they'd be away and he'd have his brother for.

"On Sunday," Melissa answered. "But it's only if Josh and Mel don't mind having Nick over there for the entire week. If they can only have him for a few days, then he'd have to spend the rest of the time with you."

"Sounds cool," Tommy shrugged, "I don't mind and Kim won't either; she adores him and he adores her."

"I know," Melissa laughed, "He did get quite attached to her didn't he?"

"Yeah,"' Tommy chuckled. "Alright, I'll let Nick know and when I get over to Kim's, I'll let her know too."

"Sounds good baby," Melissa smiled. "You should probably go get ready."

"Alright," Tommy nodded before walking out the kitchen. He made his way up the stairs and to his room. He had just pulled out his duffle bag when his brother walked into his room.

"Are you going somewhere?"Nick asked as he sat in the chair near the door.

"Yeah," Tommy nodded as he pulled out clothes from his drawer. "I'm spending the week at Kim's with the others; we're having a sleepover week."

"A sleepover week?" Nick's brows furrowed. "So, you're spending the whole week at Kim's?"

"Yep," Tommy answered as he headed to the bathroom to grab his stuff before walking back in.

"I thought mom and dad was going out of town," Nick said.

"Yeah," Tommy looked at him. "Mom said you're going over to Justin's tonight right? And that you'll be spending tomorrow over there as well. Well, if Justin's parents can't keep you for the week, then I'll come get you and you can spend the rest of the week with me."

"Oh," Nick nodded, "Ok then."

"You don't mind?" Tommy asked as he turned back to his packing. "You sound a little off."

"No," Nick shook his head, "it's not that. I love spending time at Justin's; he's like my best friend, but if his parents can't keep me for the week, I really don't mind spending time with Kim."

"You do know she's my girlfriend, right?" Tommy raised an amused eyebrow at his brother.

"So?" Nick smirked.

"That means," Tommy chuckled, "I'll be spending more time with her than you will be."

"Says who?" Nick crossed his arms across his chest.

"Says me," Tommy grinned as he tossed a shirt at Nick, laughing when it landed on his head.

"Yeah, yeah," Nick scowled before he laughed as he threw the shirt back to his brother. "We'll see, after all, she likes me best…she said so herself."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to go to Justin's?" Tommy straightened up and walked to his brother, gently and firmly pushing him from his room.

"You know I'm right," Nick laughed as he allowed his brother to steer him. "That's why you're making me leave your room. Cheer up bro…there's plenty more girls out there."

"Out!" Tommy laughed and raised a hand to smack his brother across the back of his head, but Nick ducked and dodged away laughing.

Still chuckling, Tommy turned back to his packing. When he was done, he went downstairs to let his mother know he was leaving and saw Nick standing with his own overnight bag.

"Can you drop Nick off on your way to Kim?" Melissa asked.

"Sure," Tommy nodded. "Come on big man…see ya mom."

"Bye mom," Nick said as he grabbed his bad.

"See you boys," Melissa called out, "Tell Kimberly hello for me."

"Will do," Tommy said and he closed the door behind him. "Let's get you to Justin's."

"Ok," Nick went to Tommy's jeep and buckled himself in.

Tommy did the same and started his jeep, pulling out of his driveway and heading towards the Cranston's House.

"Have fun," Tommy said.

"We always do," Nick laughed and got out of the car. He headed towards the front door which opened before he got there.

"Hey Nick," Justin greeted his friend; they might've been a year apart, but the two were really close.

"Justin," Nick smiled, "ready to have some fun?"

"Aren't I always?" Justin smirked before looking at Tommy. "Hey Tommy!"

Tommy, who was about to pull out of the driveway, stopped and leaned his head out his window. "Yeah?"

"Billy says to wait for him," Justin said.

"Alright," Tommy nodded.

Justin and Nick walked inside and Billy came out.

"Hey man," Billy said as he jogged over to Tommy's jeep.

"Hey," Tommy greeted as he pulled out of the driveway. "To the Harts we go."

Billy laughed.

~…~

Jason parked his car before hurrying in his house. The door slammed behind him, drawing his mom from the living.

"Jason?" Alicia looked at her son. "Where's the fire?"

"Mom," Jason turned to her, "can I spend the week at Kim's house? We're thinking of having a sleepover week…everyone's gonna be there if their parents say yes."

"Is it ok with Caroline?" Alicia asked as she followed her son up the stairs.

"Kim's going to ask," Jason answered as headed to his room, "but Mrs. Hart won't mind; Andros said she's always saying they could have their friends, which is us, over whenever they want."

"So, what?" Alicia raised an amused eyebrow, "all of you are going to show up at Carrie's house and just hope for the best?"

"Something like that," Jason paused in his packing and smiled sheepishly.

"You guys are unbelievable," Alicia laughed, "let me go and call Carrie to find out what's up." She laughed at him once more before she left his room to go to hers. Picking up the phone, she dialed the Hart's number and smiled when she heard Caroline's voice.

"_Hey Lish," Caroline smiled into the phone. "Let me guess, you're calling about the sleepover?"_

"Yeah," Alicia laughed, "Jase here is too excited and I wanted to make sure it was ok as the kids all plan to just show up at your house and hope for the best."

"_Really," Caroline laughed. "That'd be something; don't worry though, it's ok. Kimberly already asked and I gave them the ok."_

"Carrie," Alicia grinned, "you're a godsend and thank you.

"_Nothing to it," Caroline chuckled, "and you're welcome. Hey, you know? We should have a girls' night out soon."_

"We should," Alicia agreed, "we haven't had one in months." after the Harts had moved to town, the other parents had decided to have a small party, kind of like a 'welcome to the neighborhood' sort of thing, especially since their kids had been on their way to becoming fast friends. A few weeks after that, the moms had decided to have a 'Mom's' night out.

"_Well," Caroline mused, "Ken's going to be out of town this week, which is perfect as I know the kids can be loud, why don't we have our own sleepover?"_

"Sounds like fun," Alicia nodded, forgetting for a moment that Caroline couldn't see her. "But at whose house? Yours is out of the question."

"_I know," Caroline sighed. "Well, why don't the rest of us parents come to your house a couple of nights this week or we can switch it up."_

"Sounds like a plan," Alicia nodded, "Ok, I'll let you go. After the kids are at your house, come to mine and we'll make the calls."

"_Alright," Caroline smiled, "Sounds good; I'll see you then."_

"Bye," Alicia hung up just as her son knocked on her door. "Yes?"

"So?" Jason fidgeted slightly in the doorway. "What did Mrs. Hart say?"

"She's fine with it," Alicia shook her head.

"Ha! I knew it," Jason cheered, "well I'm gonna go and get Tri and the others. See ya."

"Wait," Alicia laughed as her son ran quickly from the door. She heard his footsteps down the stairs followed by the front door closing.

~…~

"Do you think mom and dad will mind us spending the whole week at Karone and the others' house?" Cassie asked her brother and sister as they walked up their driveway after Jason dropped them off.

"I doubt it," Trini answered as she opened the door. "I'd imagine mom and dad would be happy we're out of their hair for a week."

"I agree," Adam laughed.

"What's so funny?" Marlon asked as he heard his kids.

"Nothing dad," Adam answered. "Hey dad?"

"Yes son?" Marlon pressed the mute button and turned to his kids as they walked into the living room. "What is it?"

"Can we spend the week at the Harts?" Adam asked.

"Why?" Marlon asked.

"Well," Cassie spoke up, "Kim and Karone thought it'd be a good idea if we have a sleepover week and we all agreed. So can we?"

"And Caroline is fine with this?" Marlon asked; it wasn't that he minded them going, he only wanted to make sure neither Caroline nor Ken had anything planned.

"I'm sure she will be," Trini waved her dad's words away. Seeing that he was about to argue, she continued on. "Kim or Karone wouldn't have suggested it if they knew their mom or dad wouldn't give them the ok to do it."

"Besides," Adam said, "if we can't do the whole week, we can still do our sleepover night and then come home tomorrow. And that I'm sure Mrs. Hart has no problem with."

"Ok then," Marlon nodded, "you guys can spend the week at the Harts."

"Thanks daddy," Cassie smiled.

"You're welcome sweetheart," Marlon grinned, "you know, I think this'll be the first time in years, maybe ever, that your mom and I have a whole week to ourselves."

"So then you guys should enjoy it," Trini smiled.

"We will," Marlon laughed.

"Alrighty then," Trini shook her head, "I'll leave you that and I'm gonna go and pack a bag to go."

"Same here," Cassie and Adam spoke at once.

"Hey dad," Adam paused at the doorway. "What time is mom coming home?"

"In about an hour and a half," Marlon answered, "any particular reason?"

"Nah," Adam shook his head, "just wondering."

The trio hurried to their room to pack; they were done in twenty minutes. They had just gotten back to the living room when the door opened and their mother walked in.

"Hi honey," Soo Yung smiled at her husband then her kids, "hi kids."

"Hi mom," all three replied back.

"What's with the bags?" Soo Yung gestured to the bags at their feet while she hung up her coat.

"Sleepover week at Kim's," Trini answered.

"Oooh sounds fun," Soo Yung walked over to where her husband was sitting and sat on the arm of his chair.

"It will be," Cassie chuckled, "we always have fun over there…or when we're all together."

"True," Adam laughed, "especially with Rocky and Zhane together…"

"And when you add in Mitch," Trini smiled, "definite recipe for fun, plus Kim does do things her own way sometimes."

"When are you guys going?" Marlon asked just as a horn sounded outside.

"Right now actually," Trini laughed, "that's Jason."

"Alright," Soo Yung nodded, "we'll see you guys sometime…"

"Mom," Cassie giggled, "it's only week; not like we're going far away."

"Then get going," Marlon made a 'shoo' motion with his hands. "The sooner you leave, the sooner we get the house."

"I see how it is," Adam sighed, "trying to get rid of your kids…"

"Yes," Marlon deadpanned causing them to laugh. "And it would work a lot faster if you got going."

"Fine," Trini mock scowled, "we're leaving…see you guys on the weekend or sometime next week."

"Bye guys," Soo Yung waved.

"Yeah, yeah," Cassie smiled and the three grabbed their bags and walked out, closing the door behind them.

~…~

"Mom," Rocky called out as he entered his house. "I'm home."

"In the kitchen Ricardo," Maria called out.

Heading to where his mother was, Rocky couldn't help but to smile. His dad may be a chef, but his mother loved spending just as much time in the kitchen.

"Hi ma," Rocky smiled when he saw his little sisters sitting at the counter helping their mom bake cookies. "Girls."

"Hi Rocky," Vida and Maddie answered.

"I see the girls let you guys go early," Maria stated with a smile.

"I know," Rocky groaned, "and I am so thankful for that, but the only reason they did is because we're having a sleepover week at Kim's."

"You'll be gone for the whole week?" Maddie asked as she moved her camera all over the room; from the day she got it, she was never without that camera in her hand.

"Yep," Rocky nodded as he snagged a cookie. He munched on it and couldn't help the moan of satisfaction; they were chocolate chip cookies and they were gooey.

"Sounds fun," Vida frowned as she looked from the cookie to where her walkman lay; her mother had taken it from her and had promised to give it back if she helped.

"It will be," Rocky nodded and grabbed another cookie. "Well, I'm gonna go pack a duffle bag. I have to pick back up 'Sha and T on my way."

"Give them love for me," Maria said.

"I will," Rocky smiled and snatched a couple more cookies, causing both Maddie and Vida to giggle and Maria to shake her head with a smile. "See ya guys."

"Bye Rocky."

He hurried up the stairs and quickly grabbed clothes, underwear, and deodorant, throwing them into a bag and hurrying back down. He was out the door soon after, calling bye to his mom and sisters once more, and was in the car and on his way to the Campbells.

~…~

"Can you believe it?" Tanya asked her sister/cousin as they walked into the house; Rocky had just dropped them off and would be back to get them soon. "A whole week at Kim's."

"I know," Aisha smiled, "You know, we always mix and match for sleepovers, but I have to admit that for a whole week, their place is better."

"Too true," Tanya agreed. "Now all we have to do is let mom and dad know."

"Let mom and dad know what?" Nancy asked as she walked in the room in her workout outfit.

"Hey mom," Tanya and Aisha turned to her.

"So what do your father and I need to know?" Nancy asked her girls.

"We're having a sleepover week at Kim and the others," Aisha explained, "we were wondering if we could go."

"Are you guys sure it won't be a problem?" Nancy asked.

"Yes," Tanya nodded, "we're sure."

"Alright then," Nancy smiled, "you guys can go."

"Thanks mom," the two said before they went upstairs to their rooms. It took them about twenty-five minutes to pack and they had just come back down when they heard Rocky blowing outside.

"That's Rocky," Aisha said, "We're leaving mom."

"Alright girls," Nancy called out, "have fun."

~…~

"Man," Zack shook his head as he and Curtis walked up to their house. "A whole week at Andros' and the others house."

"I know," Curtis grinned as he opened the door. "I'm excited. Hey, do you think Jess will wanna come and do you think the others would mind?"

"You can ask Jess," Zack answered, "and I doubt they will; she's a sophomore like you and Cassie and Ash and Karone and TJ, and we hang out with you guys. Besides if she does come, we'll be even; everyone there will be coupled up."

"True," Curtis grinned. "I'm gonna go call her right now." He hurried to the living room, passing his mom on the way.

"Whoa…where's the fire?" Jill asked as she walked over to her oldest son.

"He's going to call Jess," Zack smiled, "we're having a sleepover week and the Harts and he's gonna see if Jess wants to join us."

"Oh," Jill nodded, "ok. So how was your shopping trip?"

"It was brutal," Zack groaned as he followed his mom into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. "We shopped nonstop until lunch; we stopped for like five minutes and that was to drop the shopping bags in the cars before we continued."

"Oh," Jill laughed, "poor baby."

"Mom!" Zack straightened up, "I'm aching in places I didn't even know I had."

"I don't see what you're complaining about," Jill laughed, "it's not like it's your first shopping trip with the girls…especially since Kimberly moved here."

"I know," Zack shook his head, "but on Thanksgiving we didn't really do much, and then Christmas was nothing again with everything that happened with Kat. I think they're making up for it." he sighed. "I thought the girls were bad before, but since Kim came, they've gotten worse. I'm starting to miss the old shopping days."

"And yet you wouldn't change it for a thing would you?" Jill looked at her son with a knowing smile.

"Nah," Zack laughed; he didn't even hesitate in his answer. "As much as it tortures us, I wouldn't change it."

"I know," Jill said.

"She said ok," Curtis announced with a smile as he walked into the room. "She asked if we could get her on our way."

"Well," Zack said, "Hayden's getting us with Hayley and Mitch, but I think it could work…Jess is not that big anyways."

"Ahh," Curtis smiled, "that she isn't."

"Or," Jill interrupted with a smile, "You can just take my car."

The two boys turned to look at her, "are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't," Jill grabbed her keys from the holder and threw them to Zack. "Call Hayden and let him know you're driving and then you can pick up Jessica."

"Alright," Zack and Curtis high-fived.

"Go pack," Jill shooed them out of the kitchen, laughing.

The two boys did as they were asked and hurried to their rooms to pack; they were done in like twenty minutes. They came back down and Zack went to call his girlfriend.

"So Jess is going?" Jill looked at her son.

"Mom," Curtis whined, "don't start."

"What?" Jill raised an eyebrow. "All I asked was if Jess was going."

"Yeah," Curtis sighed, "but you said it that tone…"

"What tone?" Jill laughed.

"Nothing mother," Curtis scowled even as his mother laughed harder.

"Ok," Zack came back in the kitchen, "I talked to Hayley and it's fine. So come on Curtis, let's go."

"Alright," Curtis grabbed his bad, "see ya on the weekend mom."

"Bye boys," Jill smiled and chuckled as she watched her sons leave.

~…~

Hayley, Hayden and Mitch were all smiles when they walked into the Ziktor household; after Hayden had dropped Zack and Curtis off, they had gone directly to Mitch's house for him to grab some clothes, before heading back to their house.

"I see you kids had fun," their mother, Dulcea Ziktor smiled as she watched her kids and their friend. Dulcea had the same red hair as her daughter, though hers was a shade lighter, and where Hayley's hair was straight, hers was curly, with hazel eyes and a small nose with slightly thick lips.

"Hi mom," Hayley smiled at her mom. "Where's dad?"

"Right here," her father, Zordon Ziktor, said as he came into the room. "Hello sweetie, Al, Mitch, what are you guys doing home so early? Kim actually let you go?"

"Yeah," Hayden nodded, "but only because we're having a sleepover week at their house; if it wasn't for the sleepover, we'd still be at the mall."

"Ahh," Zordon chuckled; he was taller than Dulcea and had a bald head and green eyes much like his daughter's, his smile was slightly wide and the same as his son. "Sounds like firebird."

"Firebird?"Mitch looked confused.

"It's Zordon's name for Kimberly," Dulcea explained with a smile. "It's been his name for since the first time we met her."

"How did she get it?" Mitch asked.

"Well," Hayley smiled, "it was our first summer camp, the one when Kim was a little angry at me using her spot," when Mitch nodded, she continued, "well, you know that after that she and I became friends and by the end of summer, we were as thick as thieves. Well, it was just before our parents picked us up, some kid decided it'd be great to pick on me and Kim…well, Kim didn't take too kindly to that."

"She really doesn't like that, does she?" Mitch laughed as he remembered when Kim had punched Carlos.

"No," Hayley laughed, "she went off on the kid, bringing him to tears and our parents just happened to be there to see everything."

"Zordon was the first to say something," Dulcea chuckled, "and it was, "what a little firebird you are" Kimberly's face was so red."

"Like you're any better mom," Hayden smiled, "as I recall, you have your own nickname for Kim."

"What is it?" Mitch looked at them.

"Little Crane," Hayley smiled, "she calls me Little Genius and Kim Little Crane."

"Little Crane?" Mitch asked.

"It was after we saw young Kimberly performing gymnastics," Zordon explained, "Dulcea remarked that she was very agile and graceful like a crane and the nickname stuck."

"Ahh," Mitch shook his head, "you know? They do suit her."

"I know," Hayley smiled, "anyways, I'm gonna go pack a bag; Al, you should too."

"Alright," Hayden nodded and the two siblings headed towards the stairs to their rooms.

"So Mitch," Dulcea turned to the teen, "how're things going with you and Al?"

"Great," Mitch smiled as he thought on his boyfriend, "he's good with me; he treats me well. I love talking with him and just being around him…and he says he feels the same about me."

"That's good to hear," Zordon smiled.

"I've never really felt this way about someone before, you know?" Mitch shrugged shyly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Dulcea nodded.

"Uhm…I don't mean to offend or anything," Mitch started, "but, did you guys…I mean, you're truly ok with me being with him?"

"Mitchell," Zordon's voice became slightly serious. "Hayden was around thirteen when he came to us; said he'd been having weird feelings and after thinking things over, he thought he might be gay. I have to say, it wasn't such a shock, but it did force us to stop and think."

"We talked about it," Dulcea continued, "We helped him to understand his feelings better and to reassure him that we'd still be happy if that was who he was. He was fourteen when he brought home his first boyfriend. He was so nervous yet confident."

"He did have his fair share of heartbreaks though," Zordon said.

"I know," Mitch nodded, "he told me about them."

"But despite all that," Dulcea smiled, "like any parent, we hoped he'd find a guy that was just perfect for him and it seems as if you're it."

"I'm glad," Mitch blushed, "'cause he's it for me too. It's weird you know? We, or at least I am, still in high school and people think that teens don't know what love is, but I can feel it. I may not love him yet, but I can definitely see myself falling for him…I can see him in my life in the long run."

"You know," Zordon smiled, "some parents tell their kids they shouldn't settle down when they're in high school with just one person as high school is the time to get to know yourself…it's the time to date, but I do not believe so. Life waits for no person and if you so happen to find the person you're supposed to be with, then you hang on to them."

"And we think so too," Hayley said, startling her parents and Mitch.

"You taught us well dad," Hayden stood next to his sister, eyes on his parents and when they moved to Mitch, his gaze softened and he walked over to stand next to him, lacing their fingers together.

"I'm glad," Zordon nodded, "And the fact that you listened and acted accordingly means my job was done well."

"It was," Hayley nodded, "both Al and I have found people that make us happy."

"That's all we wanted," Dulcea hugged her daughter before hugging her son. "Now, you guys should get going otherwise."

"Alright," Hayden nodded, "we'll see you guys."

"Bye," Hayley said and the trio walked out of the kitchen, leaving Zordon and Dulcea smiling after them.

~…~

"Hey sweetie," Penny smiled when she saw her daughter. "Home already?"

"Yeah," Kat answered, "we cut our shopping short because we're having a sleepover week at Kim's."

"Sounds fun," Penny said.

"Hey sis," Xander walked into the room, "what's going on?"

"I'm just getting a bag to go to Kim's house," Kat answered, "I'm spending the week over there."

"Oh cool," Xander grinned, "is everyone going?"

"Yep," Kat nodded, "so, I'm gonna go throw some clothes in a bag."

She smiled at her mother and brother before going upstairs to her room; fifteen minutes later she came back down.

"That was fast," Xander exclaimed.

"I know," Kat laughed, "guess I'm just too excited. What are you doing home anyways? I thought you'd be with Vida and Maddie."

"I'm going over there later," Xander told her. "We're going to watch a movie."

"Sounds fun," Kat smiled at her little brother. "Well, I'm gonna go."

"When are you going to be home?" Penny asked.

"Maybe Sunday?" Kat shrugged, "It depends on everyone else and how things go I suppose."

"Ok then," Penny smiled, "have fun."

"I will," Kat laughed and walked out the house, closing the door gently behind her.

Back inside, Penny smiled to herself; she was happy to see that her daughter was practically back to being the girl she was before the rape. She was thankful for the friends her daughter had, especially Kimberly, as she knew that it was their support that had helped Kat through the rape and the aftermath of it. Hugh had wanted to take Kat to a professional, but she had advised against it; she knew her daughter and knew that if Kat hadn't wanted to talk to Preston when she was in the hospital or anyone else unless Kim was there, then there was no way she'd talk to some stranger. No…her friends had done what the therapist probably wouldn't have been able; they had gotten Kat back.

~…~

"Dad!" TJ was surprised, "you're home." His father had been out of town since last week on a business trip. He wasn't supposed to be back until next week.

"Yep," Tony nodded, "Business finished up early, so I decided to come home. What's going on?"

"Sleepover at the Harts," TJ answered as he closed the door behind him and walked further into the house. "We went shopping today and then we decided to have a sleepover so I came home just to grab some stuff."

"I just got home and now you're leaving," Tony chuckled, "alright, I'll tell your mother."

"Thanks dad," TJ smiled before running to his room; he quickly threw his stuff in a duffle bag before running back out and down the stairs. "I'm leaving."

"Drive in the speed limit Speedy," Tony smiled at him.

"I do," TJ rolled his eyes.

"Not with the way you're running about around here," Tony shook his head.

"That's in the house," TJ said, "I'm not gonna go all speed demon on the road. Tell mom goodnight for me."

"Will do," Tony nodded, "get going."

"Bye dad," TJ smiled, "and I'm really glad you're home."

"Me too son," Tony clapped him on the shoulder before pushing him to the door. "Get going."

"I'm gone," TJ laughed and closed the door behind him as he hurried to his car.

~…~

"Is everyone here?" Karone asked her sister as she walked into the kitchen. Fifteen minutes ago, they're friends had started showing up; Jason was the first to show up with Cassie, Trini and Adam and five minutes later, Zack had shown up with Jessica and Curtis. Soon after that, it was like a race to see who could get here first as one by one, the others showed up.

"Nah," Kim shook her head, "Tommy and Billy still need to show up."

"That boy is always late," Trini shook her head, "The one time he was early was on the first day of school and that was when he met you."

"I guess it was just meant to be," Kim grinned and they laughed.

"Whatever," Karone smiled. "Everyone else is in the den, though why I don't know; it's not like we're gonna start watching movies now…it's not even sundown yet."

"We can always go swimming," Aisha said as she walked into the kitchen.

"True," Trini nodded as she turned back to what she was doing which putting some of the food they had bought away.

"Where's your mom at anyways?" Aisha asked as she helped Trini.

"She got a call from Jason's mom," Kim answered, "they're having their own night out, so she's in her room getting ready."

"A grownup sleepover?" Rocky asked when he came in, hearing Kim's answer.

"Pretty much," Karone nodded. "Is Tommy and Billy here yet?"

"Yes," Tommy answered as he walked over to where Kim was to kiss her on her cheek. "Hey Beautiful."

"Hey Handsome," Kim smiled up at him.

"Oh come on," Jason groaned, "you guys just saw each other like almost half an hour ago."

"And you're point would be?" Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Jason laughed. "So I take it everyone's here now?"

"Yep," Andros answered as he walked in followed by TJ. "Teej just showed up."

"Good," Aisha nodded, "we were thinking of going swimming or playing some games out in the backyard."

"Sounds cool," Andros said as he leaned against the counter next to Kim and Tommy.

"Done," Trini and Aisha said as one.

"Let's go outside then," Kim suggested and the friends made their way out of the kitchen. As they were going down the hall to let the others know where they were going, Caroline came down.

"Ok," she smiled at the friends, "I'm going over to Alicia's…please, don't burn my house down, will you?"

"No promises," Zhane teased as he walked up behind her.

"Zhane Matthew," Caroline warned.

"Alright, alright," Zhane sighed, "enough with the full name; no burning the house down."

"Good," Caroline smiled and the others laughed, "have fun you guys."

"We will," the group replied.

"Bye mom," Kim, Karone and Andros said.

"Bye," Caroline said and she walked out, locking the door behind her.

"Let's party," Zhane said and the others cheered.

~…~

It was near eight o'clock when the teens ventured back in the house; they had spent the rest of the afternoon outside and had decided to take showers and start on their movie night. After taking their showers, everyone met up in the den near the kitchen.

"So what are we watching?" Hayden asked as he sat down on the couch, pulling Mitch with him.

"Kim has a movie I think," Mitch answered as he curled into his boyfriend's side.

"What is it sis?" Zhane asked as he took a seat on the couch with Hayden and Mitch, followed by Karone.

"Ok," Kim stood in front of the TV. "Do you remember what you, Andy and Karone wore to the Halloween Dance?"

"Those Power Rangers costume," Andros answered as he and Ashley, followed by everyone else, found seats around the room, "what about them?"

"Well," Kim said, "when we were shopping today, I came across this box set; apparently the costumes that you saw in the comic book, well there was actually a TV show to go along with it." she held up the box. "This is the first three seasons and there was even a movie. I got them because I thought you guys might wanna see it."

"Sounds interesting," Zack nodded, "well, let's see what it's all about."

"Put it," Jason said.

"Alright," Kim smiled and turned to the TV; after setting up the VCR, she grabbed the remote and moved to where Tommy was sitting and curled up on his lap. "Here it goes."

The movie started and they settled down to watch.

_**Go, go Power Rangers  
Go, go Power Rangers  
Go, go Power Rangers  
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers**_

"The beat is catchy," Hayley commented as they listened to the opening sequence.

"The moon?" Zack laughed, "Really? She couldn't get anywhere else?"

"Anyone notice how her mouth doesn't match what she's saying?" TJ pointed out.

"Shhh," Cassie shushed her boyfriend.

The opening credits were over and the movie started with five teens in a juice bar.

"That kinda looks like Ernie's," Rocky said.

As the movie continued, they realized something startling.

"Is it me, or does Austin look a little like Jason?" Billy was the first to point it out.

"And AJ looks like Kim," Tommy commented, "only thing is, her hair is shorter and darker than Kim's."

"Walter looks like Zack then," Jason spoke up, "And David looks like Billy while Thuy looks like Trini."

"This is freakily weird," Hayden muttered as he watched the five teens on the show.

"You're telling me," Kim sniffed, "I'm nothing like that AJ; she's worried about her hair fitting under the helmet…although, you have to wonder _how _it got under there and stayed so perfect even when they took their helmets off."

"I know right," Aisha giggled.

"They're fighting styles are kinda awesome though," Curtis nodded.

"But their monsters are just plain weird," Jessica laughed. "I mean, have you seen the crap that Rita person comes up with?"

"Too true," Ashley laughed. "I don't know what you're going on about Kim; AJ does look a little like you and look, she's a gymnast and she uses it as part of her fighting style."

"Whatever," Kim grumbled good-naturedly.

"I don't know," Tommy teased, "I think AJ is kinda hot."

"Hey!" Kim smacked his chest and the others laughed.

"You know," Jason had a teasing smile on his face, "That Thuy girl is kinda hot too." He laughed, only to wince seconds later from the elbow to his side from his girlfriend.

They continued to watch the TV, commenting occasionally on the fighting styles or the story line. They made no attention to the hours that passed, too caught up in watching the show; they cheered when the rangers would win, laughed at the monsters and when Rita would lose and groan at the words of the henchmen.

It wasn't until sometime later that Kim perked up on Tommy's lap; her reason soon became obvious. They were just starting into the story arc "_Green with Evil" _and a newcomer was introduced.

"Whoa," Kim breathed. "He's hot."

"I know," Trini nodded as did the other girls.

"He looks a little like Tommy, don't you think?" Jessica asked.

"My hair is longer," Tommy responded immediately, frowning slightly at his girlfriend's attention to the screen, he wasn't the only one though; the other guys were frowning too.

"I'd so like him to tangle with me," Mitch fanned himself.

"Get in line," Kim mock glared at him.

"He's not that hot," Tommy said, hoping to draw Kim's attention from the guy.

"Shush," Kim waved at him.

They watched as the new guy, revealed to be Jason Frank, fought against Austin, matching him move for move before finally tying the match.

"_**Gorgeous, isn't he?" Thuy asked as she leaned against her best friend.**_

"_**Yeah," AJ nodded as she bit her lip, her eyes never straying from Jason.**_

"_**Come on," Thuy smiled at her friend, "maybe you'll see him in school tomorrow." **_

"_**I hope so," AJ whispered as she watched the guy for a few more minutes before following her friend; she completely missed seeing Jason turn to watch her as she left.**_

"See?" Kim turned to Tommy. "Even AJ thinks he's hot."

"Whatever," Tommy grumbled, but he smiled when Kim grinned before kissing his cheek.

"Can we skip all the scenes with this guy?" Andros asked.

"NO!" all the girls, and Mitch, shouted.

"Sorry," Andros winced, "didn't have to deafen me."

They got quiet once again and enjoyed the movie; they would pause it periodically to eat, use the bathroom or play a game before going back.

"How far are we?" Kat asked once they had reclaimed their seats.

"About mid-season," Kim answered, "what time is it?"

"Around midnight or so," Mitch answered.

"Still early," TJ commented, "alright, let's watch more."

The gang watched for a few more hours before calling it quits for the night.

~…~

The next day, they spent the day outside and at Ernie's before once again heading home to spend some time at the pool before going back to the den to watch the rest of the first season of _Power Rangers. _The rest of their week continued like that.

By Thursday night, they had watched all of season one and two and were currently watching the movie.

"This is so awesome," Hayden breathed as he watched the rangers fight Ivan Ooze's giant monsters.

"I know," Jessica nodded; she couldn't help but to feel awed by the fact that she was surrounded by this group of friends. She knew that even if they didn't know it, but the juniors were the most popular group in school and with the sophomores hanging out with them, they were as well by extension. Everyone wanted to be friends with them, even seniors and thought they didn't act like it, it always seemed as if they were untouchable.

"I wish _Power Rangers _were real," Kim sighed wistfully as she watched AJ handle the Crane Zord. "I'd like to be one."

"So would I," Aisha looked over at her, "that Karan girl knows what she's doing; she doesn't take any smack from anyone."

"I still can't believe Thuy, Austin and Walter left for that Peace Summit," Trini grumbled. "They should've stayed."

"And then Johnny, Karan and Steve wouldn't have had the chance to be rangers," Tanya said.

"I know," Trini smiled, "besides, if it was me, I'd have done the same thing, and when you think about it, the Peace Summit is almost like what the rangers were doing, but on a mortal level."

"That is true," Billy nodded.

"I'd like to visit Phaedos," Tommy suggested, "I bet there was a waterfall somewhere in that jungle."

"Sounds romantic," Kim snuggled into him and giggled when he pressed a kiss to her head.

"Guys," Zack shushed them, "it's almost over." the rangers had just destroyed Ivan which had released the town's parents from trance.

"No," Mitch shook his head, "they still have to revive Eldon."

"They'll do it," Kat said, "they're the rangers."

"_**Remember what we learned," Jason turned to his friends and fellow teammates. "To those who possess the great power, anything is possible. Come on."**_

_**The rangers spread out around their mentor's still form and lifted their hands so that they were touching fingertips to fingertips. The power rose in them as the animals on their chest plates came out in swirl of colors and spilled out around the Command Center fixing everything that was destroyed before moving to Eldon's body. **_

_**The rangers slowly lowered their hands and they watched as the colors came to form a ball of power above Eldon's body before dropping into his heart. They held their breath, hoping it would work, and released it in a rush when they heard their mentor's intake of air. Soon enough, the dome was re-erected and Eldon's head floated once more before them.**_

"_**Eldon!" the rangers exclaimed.**_

"_**Rangers," he smiled down at them.**_

_**AJ held her hand to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears; she looked up at Jason, who had placed his hand on her shoulder before looking back to her mentor, "We thought that you had…" she couldn't continue.**_

"_**It is good to see you too," Eldon smiled down at his kids.**_

"Aww," the girls smiled as they wiped their tears.

"You can see how much he means to them," Hayley smiled, "especially that AJ."

"I know right," Kim smiled; the girls looked at each other before turning back to the movie.

The rangers were eating, celebrating the demise of Ivan and the return of their mentor.

The group watched as they spoke to the kid, Fred, before moving to watch the fireworks.

_**We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb  
We'll get higher and higher leave it all behind**_

_**So baby dry your eyes, save all the tears you've cried  
Ohh that's what dreams are made of  
'Cause we belong in a world that must be strong  
Ohh that's what dreams are made of (x2)**_

_**[Guitar solo]**_

_**And in the end on dreams we will depend  
'Cause that's what love is made of**_

"That was such a good movie," Rocky said, "and it's weird 'cause you know I'm not really into those things."

The other boys agreed.

"You know," Zhane spoke up, "Jason and AJ reminds me of how Kim and Tommy act."

"What?" Tommy looked at him, "no way man."

"It's true," Ashley nodded, "from what we've seen since Jason entered town, those two have been attracted to each other; when Jason joined the rangers, they became close and as the time went on, they got closer until they became a couple."

"He talks to her about things he doesn't talk to anyone else about," Cassie added on, "especially when it came to him losing the green ranger powers; as close as he was to Austin, it didn't look like he opened up all that much to him about that. He always turned to AJ."

"They're right you know?" Tanya smirked, "you did the same thing Tommy. From the moment Kim showed up, the two of you were attracted to each other, you got close very quickly and you opened up to her more to her than you did to any of us."

"Including me," Kat chuckled, "and I was your girlfriend."

"And you're close to me," Jason piped up, "we're like brothers, but it took a while for us to be that way…not with Kim, which is just how Jason was with AJ."

"Whatever guys," Tommy laughed, "I don't think so."

"Well, I do," Kim smiled at him.

"You do Beautiful?" Tommy looked at her.

"Yep," Kim nodded, "I like it."

"Ok," Tommy kissed her cheek.

"And that's it?" Hayden frowned at him, though his eyes were dancing with mirth.

"Shut up dude," Tommy threw a throw pillow at him, smacking him in his face as Mitch had ducked out of the way.

"Well," Karone looked at the clock, "it's only ten thirty. What do you guys wanna do? Should we continue to watch season three or do something else and pick up tomorrow?"

"Why don't we pick up tomorrow?" Curtis suggested. "We can play a game."

"Sounds cool," Kim said as she stood up and turned the VCR off. "What kind of game?"

"You guys have cards right?" Curtis asked, "we can play Rummy or something."

"Haven't played that in a while," Hayden said, "should be fun though; we can also play Bullshit."

"I'm down for that," Zack clapped and the others laughed.

"So let's do this," Adam stood up, as did the others.

"I'll get the cards," Zhane and Andros spoke as one; they had more than one deck.

"And we'll deal with snacks," Trini gestured to her and the other girls.

"Alright," Jason said, "let's go."

The friends scattered. Soon enough, the den was filled with cheers and shouts as they played cards.

Soon enough, the Easter break was over and they went back to school; refreshed, they seemed to breeze through it and welcomed the summer days. Their summer would be the same as every summer, but with one difference; they had made new friends.

When July 4th came around, instead of being in the park, all the families went to the Hart house to enjoy the day. At the end of the night, when the fireworks were going off in the sky, Zack brought out his radio and popped in a cassette; the friends laughed when Van Halen's _Dreams _came through the speakers. It was one of their best Independence Days ever.

Before they knew it, it was once again time for school.

~…~

"Can you believe it?" Hayley asked as she and the others stood in front of the entrance to AGHS. "Our senior year…we're actually seniors now."

"And juniors," Karone added and TJ, Cassie, Ashley, Curtis and Jessica nodded.

"Better year than before?" Zack looked at his friends.

"Oh yeah," Rocky slapped a high-five with Zhane.

"Let's do this," Trini smiled at the girls and they walked into the school, their boys following them.

It was their last year, and they would make the best of it.

* * *

**A/N 3: **just one more chapter to go. Last chapter is Prom and then Graduation; for prom, I would like you guys to suggest a theme and a song to go with it. Now remember, the songs have to be from '98 backwards; the theme that I like best, I will send a PM to that reviewer and if there is something specific they want to happen at prom or graduation or both, I will include it, and if the songs from other reviewers fit into that theme, then I will include those songs (as much as I can) as well.

the song is Van Halen's _Dreams _as it appears in the final scene in the movie


	14. Ch 12: Goodbye and Hello

**A/N: **hey guys, this is the final chapter for Love Affair: Angel Grove. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **if by now, you don't know that I own nothing (but Mitch and Michael and everything else that is unfamiliar), then you won't know again…

**O.P.D.: **Sunday 30th Jan. '11

* * *

_Last time on LA: AG;_

"_Can you believe it?" Hayley asked as she and the others stood in front of the entrance to AGHS. "Our senior year…we're actually seniors now."_

"_And juniors," Karone added and TJ, Cassie, Ashley, Curtis and Jessica nodded._

"_Better year than before?" Zack looked at his friends._

"_Oh yeah," Rocky slapped a high-five with Zhane._

"_Let's do this," Trini smiled at the girls and they walked into the school, their boys following them._

_It was their last year, and they would make the best of it._

* * *

The friends settled into the new and final year with ease; the school year had started off good for them, as it didn't have the drama that they had at the beginning of their junior/sophomore year and that made the year seem so much better.

Time flew by as summer ended and fall started and before they knew it, it was Halloween. Like last year, despite the fact that Halloween was on a Sunday, the school had once again decided to have the dance on Friday.

The friends got ready for the dance like they did last year before meeting up at the dance. This time around, it was more fun and more relaxed as there were no secrets being kept and the friends truly enjoyed themselves.

Soon, Halloween turned to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving turned to Christmas. As always, they spent Christmas Eve giving out presents at the orphanage while Christmas Day was spent at Ernie's and like Halloween, this Christmas was a lot more enjoyable than the last; it was slightly tense at first as it was anniversary of Kat's rape, but the friends were able to shake off the slight depressing mood and truly enjoy their Christmas, which made ringing in the new year even better.

It was now the second week of school, and the friends had settled in. the seniors had a free period after lunch and could be found in their homeroom talking amongst each other.

"A new year huh," Hayley said as she shifted slightly to look at her friends. "Our final year at that."

"I know," Trini nodded, "it seems a bit surreal though, don't you think?"

"It does," Kat agreed, "I mean, it feels like I'm just starting freshman year and now all of sudden I have to graduate."

"Graduation is few months away," Rocky pointed out.

"I know," Kat waved her hand, "but it still feels like that; like we just got here and now we have to leave."

"A part of me doesn't want to leave," Kim said. "And then another part of me can't to get out of here."

"I feel the same," Jason looked at her. "High school is so simple and easy."

"I know, right?" Zack shook his head, "but now, we're gonna be in college and we'll have to worry about jobs and being on our own and all that other crap."

"And we may not even be in the same college," Zhane added, "We all know Hayles and Billy are MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Yale candidates."

"True," everyone nodded.

"Me," Zhane continued, "I'll be going to UCLA…hopefully."

"Same here man," Adam agreed with him, "I can't see myself leaving California for school…in fact, I can't see myself being too far from home. UCLA is just a few hours' drive away."

"I hear that," Kim looked over at him. "I want to be close to home as well. I'd go to AGU, but I think UCLA is better."

"So," Aisha looked at her friends, "We're all, minus Hayley and Billy of course, decided on UCLA?"

"Yep," Andros nodded.

"Hey!" Hayley and Billy turned to their friends, smiles in their eyes while their faces held mock indignant expressions.

"Now that we've established that," Tanya said, "it's time to talk about something very important."

"What?" the guys asked.

"Prom!" the girls said as one.

"Already?" Zack groaned, "but prom is months away."

"So?" Kim crossed her arms across her chest. "We need to start planning because before you know it, May will be here already."

"She's right," Kat nodded, "it's better to start the planning now, that way, if anything inconvenient pops up later on down, we can either work around it or fix it completely."

"Shouldn't we do this with the juniors?" Zhane asked, "after all, it's a Junior-Senior Prom."

"True," Trini nodded, "but, it's more a Senior Prom than anything, so we get to choose the theme and well, everything else; all the juniors have to do is say what they want to eat."

"So we have to plan food, music and theme," Kim pulled out an art pad that she wasn't really using and made some columns on it. "Alright, any ideas for themes?"

The boys immediately started calling out suggestions, each ones more ludicrous and unbelieving as the last and each idea was shot down by the girls.

"What about 'Love'?" Tanya suggested.

"Hmmm," Kat looked at her friend, "that's good, but it needs something more. I mean, prom just isn't about love. It's the point in your high school career where it seems like everything finally happened how you wanted it."

"As if your dreams came true," Aisha finished and looked at the girls with smiles. "What Kat is saying, is that, prom is like a dream; you can do anything or make anything happen at prom because it such a special and, dare I say it, magical time."

"It's also about having the time of our lives," Kim added on before looking down at the art pad. "And that can be a song; _'Time of My Life', _we can definitely use that."

"So," Mitch said, "prom is about not only about love, but about everything else that comes with it."

"Exactly," the girls smiled at him.

"How about," Tommy spoke up after they were quiet for some time. "'_Night in Paris: Dreams do Come True'_; the first part because it is said that Paris is the love capital of the world and practically any love song will work and the second part, well, simply because it fits in with what prom is supposed to be about…about making your dreams come true."

The others stared at Tommy.

"What?" he said defensively.

"Bro," Jason shook his head, "that was a shockingly good answer."

"Yeah man," Rocky nodded, "I didn't know you were like that."

"Hey," Tommy scowled, "I can be romantic."

"You sure can Handsome," Kim smiled at him before pressing a kiss to his lips for a few seconds. "I love it."

"It's perfect," Trini smiled and the girls all agreed.

"Trisha," Kim called out to a fellow classmate.

"Yeah Kim?" Trisha, and a few other senior girls walked over to the group. "What's up?"

"We have an idea for the prom theme," Tanya said.

"You do?" Marcy, a girl with brown hair that was cut in a Demi Moore style bob, sighed in relief. "Thank god; we've been racking our brains for something and nothing seemed to work."

"Let's hear it," Janette Mason, another classmate, said.

"It's _'Night in Paris: Dreams do Come True'_," Hayley told them.

"What do you girls think?" Mitch asked.

The girls looked at each other before looking back at the friends. "It's perfect…absolutely perfect."

"We can turn the gym into a replica of a Parisian night," Trisha smiled, "complete with the Eiffel Tower."

"Sounds like a plan," Trini stood up, followed by Kim, Aisha, Tanya, Kat and Hayley. "Girls, let's start planning."

"What are we supposed to do?" Jason asked.

"Don't go too far," Tanya said, "we'll need your help for some of the stuff."

"Great," Zhane groaned.

"What was that?" Kim looked down at him.

"Nothing!" Zhane held up his hands and shifted away from his sister, much to the amusement of the others.

"Good," Kim nodded. "We'll go with Trish and the others and start work, but be available for whatever help we'll want."

"Yes ma'am," Tommy saluted and the others laughed. "We're at your beck and call, ready and willing to do whatever you want."

Kim narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend before leaning down to whisper in his ear. She moved back and smirked when she saw him shift even as his eyes darkened slightly.

"Let's go girls," she turned back to her friend, smiling when she heard the boys question Tommy.

"Girl," Janette looked at her. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing much," Kim replied coyly.

"Yeah right," Hayley smirked, "I bet you told him something along the lines of him being willing to do whatever you wanted during a certain situation."

"You'd be right," Kim grinned, "I did tell him that, and it was fun to see his reaction."

"You teased him about sex?" Marcy was slightly shocked.

"Why not?" Kim shrugged as they sat down.

"But," Trisha looked over at Tommy, who hadn't taken his eyes off his girlfriend, before turning back to Kim. "Aren't you worried?"

"About what?" Kim asked, "that he'll want it before I'm completely ready? No, I'm not. Tommy and I talked about this already."

"You did?" Tanya asked.

"Yep," Kim nodded, "it was over the summer; he and I had a date and things got a bit hot and heavy. We stopped ourselves and we talked about what was happening between us, where it could lead and what it meant for us."

"So, have you guys…you know…done it yet?" Janette asked.

"No," Kim shook her head, "although, we have come close on occasions. We both decided to wait until we're at least out of high school or when the moment feels right for us."

"Same here," Trini and Hayley said.

"What about you 'Sha?" Trini asked.

"Rocky already told me that no matter how much he wanted to," Aisha looked at her boyfriend with a smile, "he'd wait until I wanted to."

"Adam said pretty much the same thing," Tanya smiled.

"And Billy knows that after what happened with Michael," Kat nodded, "that I won't be ready for _that_for a while and he's willing to wait until I am."

"You girls have the best boyfriends," Marcy sighed.

"They have their faults," Kim laughed, "especially Tommy, but to me, he's perfect."

"Ok," Trini clapped her hands, "now, let's get to planning."

The girls huddled a bit closer and started talking; they made lists of all songs to go with the theme, the food they would like, what they should use to turn into their Parisian night and more importantly, their gowns.

~…~

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months and before they knew it, it was May; prom would be on the tenth, which was only three days away. It would on a Sunday, and as such, both the juniors and seniors would have the Monday off, whereas any other students who had been asked (sophomores and freshmen) would still be required to be in school on Monday.

The friends were in the gym, making sure everything was how they wanted it; they would be back on Saturday for the final touches before prom on Sunday. Their after party would be at Ernie's who had graciously offered his youth center as he did every year.

"How's it looking guys?" Trini asked as she fixed a loose paper on their Eiffel Tower.

"Looking good," Rocky grunted out as he helped Jason move a few extra tables. "I still can't believe prom is almost here. Next thing you know, we'll be standing on a podium accepting our diplomas."

"I can't wait," Aisha squealed, "we'll finally be done with high school and more importantly, I'll never have to see some of these people again."

"I hear you girl," Kim passed by just in time to hear Aisha's comment. "It's too bad Veronica wasn't a senior with Reggie and the others."

"I agree," Hayley pushed some hair from her face as she helped Kat. "That girl has seriously been getting on my nerves. I really can't understand how she and Reggie became a couple."

"He's the only that would put up with her," Kat giggled, "she's too high maintenance for anyone else. I'm just glad Archie figured that out sooner rather than later and is very happy with Betty."

"Can you believe that those three were actually in a triangle and Betty and Veronica are still friends," Adam shook his head, "girls are seriously weird and hard to understand."

"Girls," Zhane shook his head with a smile, "same species as us, but _way _different and more difficult."

"I couldn't agree more," Jason nodded.

"Hey!" the girls all looked at them and the boys couldn't help but to laugh.

"What about you Mitch?" Janette asked. "You're more of girl than they are."

"That's true," Mitch smiled, "but I'm still a lot easier to understand because I still am a guy."

"I hate you," Marcy deadpanned and the others laughed even more, even the girls laughed.

"Come on guys," Ashley chuckled, "let's finish up."

_(Prom Day)_

It was the day of prom and everyone was excited. The teens had decided to all get ready at the Hart's house. The girls had done their hair early that morning, wanting to do it themselves rather than pay someone else to do it; that way, they could guarantee that it would come out the way the wanted to. They had all taken showers, the girls walking around in robes, while the guys wore t-shirts and sweatpants.

All the families were at the Hart household, enjoying the day with their kids before they started taking pictures. Prom was starting about 5 p.m. which is when they would take pictures for the year book and for themselves before having dinner. Afterwards, they would have their dance before going to Ernie's for the after prom party where they would play games and gifts would be given out. It was now 3 p.m.

"Girls," Alicia called out, "and guys, you should go get dressed so we could start taking pictures; remember, you guys have to be there at 4:30 and we want to take pics."

"Ok Mrs. Scott," everyone chimed out before making their way inside. The girls headed to the den near the kitchen, while the boys headed down in the basement.

_(With the girls)_

"I can't believe it," Tanya sighed, "our senior prom; it's finally here."

"I know," Kat smiled at her friend as she unzipped the bag that held her dress.

"I can't wait to see how everything looks tonight," Kim looked at the girls before pulling out her own dress. "I mean, I know we fixed up everything, but seeing the final results tonight with the lights and everything…it's gonna be so awesome."

"I hear you," Jessica smiled, "and to think, next year, it's our turn."

"I kinda wish Tommy hadn't thought of this theme," Cassie teased, "now, we'll have to make sure our senior prom is even better."

"Good luck with that," Trini teased her sister. "It will not top ours."

"We'll see," Karone smiled, "right girls?"

"Right," Ashley, Cassie and Jessica answered before dissolving into giggles.

The giggles slowly died off until the girls settled into comfortable silence as they dressed. They each took care with putting their dresses on and were soon finished.

"I must say girls," Hayley looked around at them, "we look amazing."

"That we do," Aisha nodded, "now, let's go wow the others."

_(With the boys)_

"I bet the girls look fabulous," Rocky said as he changed out of his sweats.

"Don't they always?" Curtis snorted as he pulled his pants up over his boxers.

"Maybe I should've gone with them," Mitch laughed as he looped his tie over his neck; he had most his clothes on, all he needed was his shoes and to button his under shirt.

"Hell no," Jason chuckled, "then you would've gotten to see the girls before us and I think we should see them together."

"Well said my man," Andros laughed as he fixed his collar.

"I'm done," Billy said and then he went to lean against the door to watch the others.

"Me too," Tommy said just after him. Soon after, all the guys were done. Each of them had their ties/undershirts done in their favorite colors, so it went as followed: Tommy and Adam both wore a green undershirt, except Tommy wore his with a white tie and Adam with a black; TJ and Billy both wore a white undershirt with a blue tie; Andros, Zack, Curtis, Zhane, Mitch and Hayden were all wearing white undershirts except their ties were red, black, black, silver, light green and baby blue respectively; Jason was wearing a gold undershirt with a red tie and Rocky wore a red undershirt with a blue tie.

"Let's go see our girls," TJ clapped his hands together before the boys headed up the stairs. They came out the door and headed to the living room where their parents were.

_(General)_

"My oh my," Jill smiled when she and the other parents saw the boys walk into the room, "don't you boys look smart."

"Thank you," Zack preened and the boys laughed.

"Are the girls ready yet?" Hayden asked.

"Yes," Hayley answered, "we are."

The boys turned around and their faces lit up.

"Wow," Adam said, "you girls look beautiful."

"Thank you," Cassie said as she walked over to where her boyfriend was standing; she was wearing a sleeveless, floor length pink satin gown with tiny blue flowers spattered on the bottom of the dress. Hayley was next and she was wearing a short-sleeve, floor length, dark red dress with black lace covering and white, elbow length gloves _(think Rose in Titanic: the dress she wore the night she met Jack for the first time…when she tried to jump ship); _Trini was wearing a strapless, knee length yellow dress with a red sash around the waist, her hair was done in curls and was up in a half ponytail.

"So amazing," Jason whispered as he opened his hand for Trini to take.

"You're not so bad yourself," Trini smiled before kissing him quickly and lightly.

Aisha came out next and she too was wearing yellow, only difference was, her dress was floor length and it was one-shouldered. Tanya followed with Kat next to her and both were wearing spaghetti strap knee-length yellow and pink dresses respectively that flared slightly around their knees. Jessica was next and she was wearing a blue halter-top floor length dress with a sash around her waist, with her hair falling on her shoulder in layers. Karone and Ashley followed behind her; Karone was wearing a pink, off shoulder, floor length dress with silver stars and Ashley wore a yellow, one shoulder dress similar to Aisha's, only difference, hers fell to her knees. Kim came out last and she wore a strapless pink, floor length dress with a green sash and a green outline, she had her in curls, piled on top of her head with a few curls escaping.

"You guys look so very handsome," Kim smiled at them as she took a spot next to Tommy.

"Anyone noticed how all of seem to match?" Kat pointed as she looked around at her friends.

"That is true," Nancy nodded.

"Did you guys tell each the color you were wearing?" Veronica asked as she snapped off a couple pictures.

"You guys do look beautiful," Maddie smiled as she filmed it with her video camera.

"Guys don't look beautiful Mads," Nick teased the girl, not seeing the slight blush that came over her cheeks at the nickname, but Kim did and she smiled.

"It's too bad you're too young phoenix," Kim walked over to Nick and kissed his cheek. "I'd take you with me."

"I know," Nick nodded which caused everyone to laugh. "Tommy is just lucky you're his age."

"Whatever man," Tommy moved to ruffle his brother's hair.

"Shouldn't you guys be leaving?" Xander asked as he looked at the clock. "It's almost four o'clock."

"Oh wait," Caroline stopped them. "We have to take pictures before you go."

"Mom," Karone smiled.

"Nope," Caroline shook her head and grabbed her camera. "I want pictures now; so, everyone outside."

Despite the groaning from the kids, they were all smiles as they made their way out to the backyard. They took pictures as a group, then with all the girls, all the guys, the couples, Kim took a few with Nick and Nick and Tommy, parents took with their kids, siblings together, one with only the junior girls, the junior boys, the senior boys and with the senior girls. When they were, they saw that it was just after four; it was time for them to leave.

"Alright," Melissa smiled, "it's time to go."

The kids and everyone else made their way back inside before they walked through the front door, only to stop the moment they were outside; parked in front of the house were two limos.

"Are those for us?" Kat asked.

"Yes," Ken nodded with a smile. "I rented them for you guys; they're yours until tomorrow morning."

"Nice," Zhane said as he looked at them. "This is definitely the best way to go to prom."

"Seniors in one," Aisha smiled, "juniors in the other."

"Let's do this," Kim said and the cheered before making their way to the limos. The seniors and Hayden went to the limo in front while the juniors went to the one in the back. Zhane and Andros went to the back limo because Karone and Ashley were their date and he wanted to be with her. The limos started and pulled away from the house, heading to the high school.

"This is gonna be the most exciting night ever," Kim and Andros said; they had no idea how right they would be.

~…~

"Get the prisoner from cell block C," Warden Smith told his guard.

"Which one?" the guard asked.

"Michael Davis," the warden replied. "He's going to the state penitentiary. I want him out of here; he's causing too much trouble. He'll be taken to Angel Street; the prison bus will be waiting for him."

"Alright Warden," the guard nodded and he turned to leave. He went down the hallway before turning left and going down the stairs. He passed each cell until he came to the one holding Michael.

"Davis," the guard used his baton to bang on the cell. "Get up, you're being transferred out."

"What?" Michael growled out as he moved to his feet. "Why?"

"Too much of a troublemaker," the guard sneered. "Warden wants you out of here. Let's go."

"Step back," the other guard said and he waited until Michael did as he asked before opening the gate. "Let's go."

They shackled him before leading him out. They walked down the halls until they came to the clearance; after making sure he had no weapons of any kind, Michael and the two guards were cleared through.

Michael sneered as he walked outside, a guard at each side and one to the back; his gaze traveled over the courtyard and he grinned at the looks he was getting from the other prisoners. He heard the guards in the watchtower clear them through and he watched as the gates opened up, seeing the transfer car waiting outside. He was taken to it and shackled inside with a guard sitting next to him.

"Let's go," the guard that was with the Warden spoke and the car started.

Michael said nothing as they drove away; he knew where they taking him, but he had no intention of going. He still had some unfinished business to do. He was silent as the car drove along the streets and the guards talked; his eyes took them in and took a note of where their guns were. He saw the keys to his cuffs dangling from the guard's waist and smirked. When they car came to a stop at an intersection just one block from where the prison bus was waiting, he made his move. Slamming his elbow into the stomach of the guard, he grabbed the keys from his waist before opening his door; knowing they wouldn't fire into a crowd, he dodged and weaved his way through traffic and ducked into an alley. He quickly unlocked his cuffs before throwing them and the keys into a garbage container before leaving the alley, taking care not to be seen. He had one destination in mind and that was Angel Grove high. He had overheard one of the guards talking a few days back about how the prom would be today as the guard had a daughter who was a sophomore and had been asked. Michael silently thanked the guard for the information as he made his way to the high school.

He got there about twenty minutes later and hid in an alley, watching the students dressed up in their prom clothes; a sneered crossed his face and his eyes flashed in anger as the thought that he should been at his own crossed his mind; it made what he was going to do even better. He watched and waited, moving to sit on the ground, only to get up about twenty minutes later when he saw the limos pull up. He smirked when he saw her standing between her friends.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "your night is just getting started; you're going to pay."

He waited until everyone had gone inside, before he carefully left the alleyway and made his way to the school.

~…~

When the limos pulled up at the school, everyone that was there stopped to watch. When the groups came out, some of the classmates went over to them.

"Whoa," a senior student, Matt, spoke as he joined the other students. "You guys had to do it in style."

"Of course," Rocky smirked, "it is our senior prom and we plan to enjoy it to the fullest."

"I heard that," Zhane laughed as he, Andros and the others joined up with the seniors. "So, what say we go in and see how everything turned out?"

"Sounds like a plan," Trini smiled and the groups made their way inside, none seeing the guy watching them from the alleyway.

When they got inside, gasps of surprise and awe escaped them.

"This place looks amazing," Kim said, "I mean, I know we worked on it, but still…it turned out better than I imagined."

"I know," Trisha smiled as she and the others walked over to them. "We did good."

"Yes we did," Janette laughed.

When you entered the gym, there was an arch around and over the door that resembled _L'Arc de Triomphe; _on the arch were the words _Night in Paris: Dreams Come True _written in gold in cursive; on each table were miniature versions of Parisian streetlamps, whose bulbs glowed in the room; since they hadn't wanted to paint the gym walls, they had used fake walls and on them were paintings of café's, rotisseries and Parisians walking along the streets as the moonlight shined down; lights hung from the roof in loops from corner to corner, but instead of regular lights, they were the size of soccer balls; An Eiffel Tower stood at the opposite side of the room and underneath it was the stage. Just across from the entrance, was a mini arch with mini Eiffel Towers on either side of it, behind it was the scene of a river.

"Ok," Jason whistled, "I take back all the grief I gave you girls about starting to plan all the way back in the year; the end result is amazing."

"Thank you," the girls replied as one.

Holding out their arms for their girls, the guys led them further into the room; they all walked around before finding their specific tables, after setting their purses on their tables, the girls decided to walk around.

"I still can't believe this," Kat told Kim as the two of them walked around; the girls had split up for a bit to look around and mingle with the others.

"I know," Kim smiled at her friend, "We worked on it, we saw it how we wanted it, but to actually _see_ it come together, it's a bit surreal."

"Like our theme says," Kat laughed, "Dreams do come true."

"I couldn't agree with you more Kitty-cat," Kim teased.

"Hey," Kat playfully smacked Kim on her shoulder. The two girls passed the locker room, not even realizing they were being followed. They had just passed by one of the bathrooms when Kat felt someone grab her.

"Hey!" she struggled in the captors hands and let out a grunt of pain when she was thrown on the floor.

Kim, who heard Kat's cry turned to see her friend being dragged into the bathroom. She rushed after her and had just made through the door when it closed behind her and someone held her in a chokehold. Her gaze locked with Kat's and she saw the stark fear and terror in the blonde's eyes.

"Who are you?" Kim demanded as she struggled in the man's arms.

"Missed me Kimberly?" Michael whispered against her ear.

Kim stiffened in surprise and fear; she understood Kat's fear better. "Michael."

"You remembered?" Michael chuckled darkly.

"What are you doing of out prison?" Kim asked.

"Escaped," Michael said, "had some last minute business to take care of and guess what? You're it."

~…~

Back at Angel Street, the guards were still in a panic; after Michael had gotten away, they had called it in and immediately, the place was swarmed with cops, among them was Preston Scott.

"What's going on?" Preston asked as he surveyed the scene.

"Prison transfer," another cop said, "except, he got away."

"So Michael Davis is in the wind?" Preston scowled.

"Yes sir," the cop replied. "And we have no idea where he's going."

After a moment's pause, Preston's head shot up. "I think I do."

Without saying anything else, he shot off to his car, hoping he was wrong, but knowing he wasn't.

~…~

Everyone had made their rounds and had made their way back to the tables, as the group sat around, they noticed two seats were empty; Kim and Kat's.

"Anyone seen the girls?" Tommy asked as he looked around; he had weird feeling.

"No," Hayden shook his head as did the others. "Last I saw them they were walking around the room.

"They probably got caught up talking to some friends," Rocky said.

"Yeah," Andros shifted in his seat even as his gaze started scanning for his twin. "Probably." But he still couldn't help the sinking feeling that something was wrong.

"Hey guys," Tommy looked at all his friends; somehow, they had managed to get one table for all of them.

"What is it?" Tanya asked, taking in the nervousness pouring off of her friend.

"I need your advice on something," Tommy shifted slightly in his seat as he looked at his friends.

"What about?" Adam asked.

Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.

"Is that what I think it is?" Andros turned to look at him.

"No," Tommy shook his head with a smile.

"Tommy," Zhane said, "you have a small black box sitting on the table and you want our advice. As far as I know, there's only one reason and it's what Andros thinks."

"No it's not," Tommy opened the box and they saw a ring with a small pink stone. "It's not an engagement ring…it's a promise ring."

"Oh my," Trini reached out and pulled the box to her so that the girls around her could see it better. "Tommy, this is beautiful."

"Kim is going to love this," Karone said as she looked at the ring.

"Yeah?" Tommy looked at her before sighing. "I sure hope so."

"When do you plan on asking her?" Ashley asked.

"Tonight?" Tommy looked at the girls and when they smiled in encouragement and agreement, he smiled. "I just need some advice on when and where to do it."

"Well," Cassie smiled, "we all know you and Kim will probably get prom king and queen, why don't you give it to her then?"

"Yeah," Jessica nodded, "you can do it when you guys are dancing as king and queen and since the theme is _Night in Paris: Dreams Come True_, it will be romantic and perfect."

"You guys think so?" Tommy asked as he accepted the ring back from Trini.

"Definitely bro," Jason clapped him on his shoulders.

"You know man," Zack grinned, "you're making the rest of us guys look bad."

"Shut up man," Tommy muttered as everyone laughed; despite the happy atmosphere, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

~…~

Kat couldn't believe her eyes; she had thought the nightmare was over with Michael in bars for what he had done to her, and she had moved on with her life, getting help from her friends to move past what he did, but instead, here she was staring up at him. She could feel herself start to hyperventilate and she tried to calm herself down, but it wasn't working. She caught Kim's eyes and despite the fear, she saw assurance and determination and that more than anything helped her calm down and gave her the strength to slowly move to her feet.

"What do you want Michael?" Kim demanded, shifting her body slightly.

Michael allowed his free hand to travel over Kim's body before reaching up to grab her chin. "You."

"In your dreams," Kim hissed in disgust; she would die before she allowed him to touch her or Kat.

"Didn't you know?" Michael chuckled, "tonight is a night for dreams to come true. Now let's go; can't have you screaming when I start." He pulled something out of his waist. "And Katherine, don't even bother try to run."

Seeing the gun, Kat's heartbeat doubled its pace. As Michael led the two girls out of the bathroom, Kim turned to the one thing she knew would and could help her; the connection with her brother…her twin. Focusing, she closed her eyes briefly and sent a message directly across the twin link;

_**Andy! Help!**_

~…~

Preston Scott was not a man that got scared easily, but this time was different; this time, he could feel the fear moving through him. The thought that the man who had raped a fellow student, a friend of his son no less, was on the loose and on his way to where the teens were, was horrifying, add into the fact that said guy was now armed…he could understand the fear.

He hurriedly drove to the school, his lights flashing, slightly oblivious to the other cop cars behind him, praying he wasn't too late.

~…~

Everyone had found their seats and music was playing as the food was served and yet, the two girls hadn't returned.

"Ok," Jessie looked around, "I may not know Kim and Kat like you guys do, but even I know something is up; they've been gone for too long."

"Something's wrong," Tommy sat up in his seat. "I can feel it…something is wrong with Kim."

"I'm gonna go find them," Andros said before he moved to his feet, fear pumping through him; he was vaguely aware of the other following him or the looks they were getting from the other students.

They had just gotten to the exit to the locker rooms and hallway into the school when they ran into Preston.

"Dad?" Jason was confused, "what are you doing here?"

"Where's Katherine?" Preston asked.

"We don't know," Billy spoke, "she and Kim went walking and they haven't been back."

"We were just going to go look for them," TJ said.

"What's going on Mr. Scott?" Curtis asked.

"Michael escaped," Preston said to the shock and horror of the teens. "He was being transferred and he managed to escape and he was able to arm himself."

"Oh no," Aisha's hand flew to her mouth, but before she could voice the thought on everyone's mind, Andros stiffened in shock as he felt and heard his sister's call.

_**Andy! Help!**_

"Kim," he gasped out before he took off down the hallway, Tommy right behind him followed by the others.

~…~

As Michael led the two girls down the hallway, Kat and Kim would occasionally look at each other, each reassuring the other with their eyes.

Kim was scared…no scratch that, she was downright terrified. The fact that Michael could do this shouldn't surprise her and yet, it did. She wanted to do something, but she knew she couldn't do anything…not as long as he had that gun and Kat could get hurt. But she was scared, not really; she had felt her brother's response and she once again thank God for the fact that they were twins and their twin telepathy was stronger than most. She knew that Michael only wanted her, so she had to get out of there. Since Michael was holding on to her, she knew he wouldn't be able to see what she said. She looked at Kat, trying to catch the blonde's eyes.

Kat was terrified, even more so than the night she was raped, because this time, it wasn't her alone that was in trouble, Kim was with her. She hoped that by now her friends had realized that she and Kim had taken too long to return and had gone looking for them and she wondered if anyone knew Michael had escaped; if no one did, then they were in deeper shit than she thought. She looked around and saw that Kim kept looking at her so she looked at her friend.

"When I tell you to, run," Kim mouthed at Kat.

Kat shook her head as she understood what her friend was saying and planned to do; she couldn't allow her to do it, but Kim was adamant.

When she saw that Kat had finally given in, Kim sighed in relief. She looked back at Michael and saw that while the gun was trained on her and he had a hold of her, he kept looking around…he was distracted. When he looked back once again, Kim seized her chance. She smashed her heel into his instep, she heard his howl of pain and threw back her elbow into his stomach before spinning out of his hold and slamming into the lockers; the gun flew out his hands and she kicked it away before turning to her friend.

"RUN KAT!" she shouted, when she saw the blonde hesitate, she glared at her. "GO NOW!"

Though it was obvious she didn't want to, Kat took off down the hallway, tears streaming down her face at the thought of what could happen to her friend if she didn't get help immediately.

~…~

As Andros and the others move through the hallway, they heard running footsteps as well as the sound of someone crying, seconds later, Kat turned the corner and ran into them.

"KAT!" the friends all shouted as the blonde collapsed in her boyfriend's arms.

"Kat," Andros looked at the blonde, despite the fact that he was glad they found her, she was alone. "Where's Kim?"

"Oh god," Kat moved to her feet, still holding on to Billy. "He has her. We have to hurry, he's got a gun."

The words weren't even out of her mouth before both Andros and Tommy shot off like a rocket around the corner; mere seconds later, everyone followed, including Kat who refused to go back to the prom without her friends…all of them.

~…~

The moment Kat ran off, Kim turned back to Michael only to receive a punch to her stomach. She fell to the floor and rolled, coughing slightly.

"You bitch," Michael snarled as he quickly grabbed the gun before turning on Kim. "I should shoot you here and now."

"Then why don't you?" Kim sneered as he hauled her to her feet.

"Because you'd like that," Michael said, "but you're going to pay for what you did." Blood was leaking down his face from the cut on his forehead where Kim had slammed him into the lockers. He tightened his hands on her arm and dragged her into one of the empty classrooms, throwing her inside.

Kim stumbled, but managed to regain her footing. "You are a bastard, you know that?"

"Shut up!" Michael pointed the gun at her before he walked over to her and pressing it to her temple. "I'm going to have some fun with you before I kill you."

"I don't think so," a voice said behind him and he whirled around, bringing Kim in front of him and keeping the gun to her temple. Standing before him was Preston, two other cops and the rest of Kim's friends.

Kim's eyes looked over her friends, boyfriend and brother. She took in the fear and rage in both Tommy and Andros' eyes and the bravado that she had put up for Kat crumbled down, leaving the fear in her eyes plain for everyone to see.

Tommy felt his heart thud erratically in his chest when he saw the fear emerge in his girlfriend's eyes and he knew then that she had been acting strong for Kat. He could feel the rage and anger flowing through him like lava as well as fear, but he knew he couldn't do anything; any sudden moves and Michael could shoot Kim. Looking at Andros, he saw that his friend had seen what he had.

Andros was scared; seeing his sister in Michael's arms felt like a bucket of cold over his body. He wanted to move and rip the guy's arm off of her, but knew that he couldn't…not if he wanted Kim unhurt. So he had to stay where he was, watching the fear in his sister's strong eyes, hurting because he can't help her.

"Let her go Michael," Preston trained his gun on Michael. "You don't want to do this."

"I think I do," Michael laughed and tightened his grip on Kim's neck causing her wince and her friends to tense even more. "It's only fair payback for everything."

"She did nothing to you," Tommy spoke through gritted teeth as his hands balled into fists.

"It doesn't matter," Michael sneered at him.

"Mr. Scott," Kim cleared her throat. "Just do it; shoot him."

"Shut up!" Michael hissed.

"Kimberly," Preston started, "I could hit you."

"It doesn't matter," Kim shifted her gaze so she wouldn't have to look at her friends.

"No!" her friends all cried out, just as she knew they would. Kim's gaze swung back to them and she caught her brother's eyes. As they looked into each other's eyes, everything seemed to slow down. Her gaze swung quickly to Tommy before moving back to Andros. Seeing the plan in his eyes, she smiled with her eyes.

"Just let her go," Andros took a step forward, heart pounding through his chest; if this didn't work…

"Don't come any closer," Michael cried as he shifted the gun from Kim's temple to point it at Andros. The moment he did, Kim brought her hand up and smashed her fist into his nose.

Michael yelled out in pain and his grip on Kim loosened and she used the opportunity to duck out of his embrace and fall to the floor. Michael looked at her briefly and moved the gun to point it at her, but before he could, Preston fired his own, the bullet hitting Michael in his chest, piercing his heart. He fell backwards, landing against the wall, eyes falling close as blood erupted from the wound.

The room erupted in movement as everyone rushed to the two. Tommy was the first to reach them and he paid no attention to Michael, his gaze on his girlfriend. He fell to his knees beside her and pulled into his arms.

"I'm okay," Kim whispered as she buried her face in Tommy's chest, and he tightened his arms around her in response. "I'm okay."

"Kim," Andros' voice was filled with tears and relief as he reached out to grab her hand, clutching it tightly in his.

Tommy carefully stood up, keeping his hold on his girlfriend as he tried to calm his racing heart; to think, he had come close to losing her. He pulled back from the hug and pressed a kiss to her lips; he hugged her once again before allowing her to go to her brother.

"God sis," Andros buried his face in his sister's neck as Karone, Hayley, Zhane and Hayden joined in the hug.

"Don't ever scare us like that again," Hayley whispered.

"I won't," Kim replied back.

"You're very stupid, you know that?" Kat cried, tears falling from her eyes as Kim pulled away from her siblings and the two hugged tightly. "I was so scared."

"Me too," Kim whispered against Kat's shoulder. She laughed lightly when the rest of their friends joined in that hug.

Tommy fidgeted a little as he watched Kim; as selfish as it sounded, he needed to hold Kim in his arms to reassure himself that she was truly ok. As if sensing his thoughts, Kim broke away from the group hug and went back to him, snuggling into his chest when his arms came up around her.

"You sure you're ok sweetie?" Preston asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kim nodded.

"Alright," Preston nodded, "well, you guys get out of here."

"What about him?" Jason gestured to Michael's lifeless body.

"Don't worry," Preston squeezed his son's shoulder. "Everything will be taken care of. Right now, you guys have a prom to enjoy. So go on."

"You're sure?" Mitch asked.

"Yes," Preston smiled, "now all of you…go."

The teens turned as one and left the room, leaving the cops to deal with the cleanup. As they walked down the hallway, a giggle escaped Kim, making the others turn to look at her.

"What the hell is so funny?" Aisha raised an eyebrow.

"Well," Kim giggled again, "we wanted an exciting night and a prom to remember, and we got it."

"Kimberly," Kat started before she too started giggling which turned into full blown laughter, the others joining in as the statement and the events of the night fully settled into their minds. The laughter might've been tinged with hysteria, but they took no note of it; they were just happy to have their friends back safe and sound.

~…~

When they had gotten back to prom, N*SYNC's song was playing in the room and they were bombarded by the students for details on what happened, but no one said anything; they just shook their heads, smiled and made their way back to their table.

_Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep (and deep)  
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep  
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true  
God must have spent...a little more time on you..._

Students were on the floor dancing and talking quietly, each wondering what had happened earlier. Back at the table, the friends looked at each other. Bad English's _When I See You Smile _came on and Kim looked at her boyfriend.

"Let's dance," she stood up and held out her hand.

Smiling up at her, Tommy took her hand and led her out on the floor. Moments later, they saw their friends join them.

_Sometimes I wonder how I'd ever make it through  
Through this world without having you  
I just wouldn't have a clue  
Cause sometimes it seems like this world's closing in on me  
And there's no way of breaking free  
And then I see you reach for me_

"What is it?" Kim looped her arms around Tommy's neck as his settled on her waist. "Talk to me."

"I was so scared Beautiful," Tommy admitted, "when I saw you in his arms and that gun at your temple…I was terrified."

"So was I," Kim said, "When I saw him with Kat, I was scared then, but I had to be strong for her."

"I know," Tommy nodded, "I saw it in your eyes the moment your allowed your fear to show in your eyes, I knew you were done being strong."

_When I see you smile I can face the world  
Oh you know I can do anything  
When I see you smile I see a ray of light  
Oh I see it shining right through the rain  
When I see you smile  
Baby when I see you smile at me_

"That is true you know," Kim smiled up at him. "Seeing you smile at me fills me with more strength and love than anything else."

"I feel the same way Beautiful," Tommy smiled at her before leaning down to capture her lips in a soft and sweet kiss.

The song finished and Foreigner's _I Want To Know What Love Is _came on. They danced to that song before going back to their table.

"I'm so hungry," Kat said as she leaned against Billy.

"Well," Rocky said, "you guys did miss the food."

"I know," Kim scowled, "I should go kick Michael's ass just for that."

"You do know you can't," Tanya laughed, happy to see her two friends smiling after what happened earlier.

"Minor details," Kim waved her words away. "I'll just eat when we get to Ernie's later on."

The others laughed when Kat declared she would raid the kitchen if he didn't feed them.

~..~

Prom continued on, everyone dancing and enjoying themselves. Cyndi Lauper's _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun _had been played a few times, along with _Time of My Life_ as well as Celine Dion's _Because You Loved Me_, which Kim danced with Andros.

The friends were back at their tables, laughing and talking, Elton John's _Can You Feel the Love Tonight_ played in the background. Minutes later, the song was cut as Peyton Johnson, a senior student, stood on stage.

"Hi guys," Peyton smiled, "I know, I know, but it's that time already; the time to announce the Prom King and Queen."

Applause and cheers rang out.

"I have in my hand the envelopes naming our King and Queen," Peyton smiled, "and here they are. Drum roll please." She opened the envelope, her smile growing wide as she read the names. "And this year's Prom King and Queen are Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart!"

"What?" Kim and Tommy were shocked.

"Oh my God!" the girls squealed as they moved to their two friends.

"Who voted for us?" Kim asked as she stared at the stage.

"Everyone," Aisha laughed, "girl, get up there…you too Tommy."

Kim and Tommy exchanged looks before he stood up from his seat and held out his hand; smiling, Kim placed hers in his and allowed him to pull her up before leading her to the stage. Their friends got up from their seats and followed after, clapping and cheering as they did so.

"Come on guys," Peyton waved them up, excitement in her eyes and voice.

When they got to the stage, the crowns were placed on their heads and despite the fact that Kim's hairdo was a little messed up and her dress was slightly dirty, everyone thought she still looked beautiful.

"Here they are ladies and gentleman," Peyton smiled, "Our King and Queen!" she waited for the applause, giggling when it was really loud, before moving the microphone back to her mouth. "Ok, guys, let's give them some room on the floor as they have the traditional dance."

Kim and Tommy walked off the stage, smiling and still a bit shocked at being named Prom King and Queen. They moved to the center of the room and waited.

Peyton turned to the band and looked at the songs they had chosen for prom; she searched through them, trying to find the perfect song. When she came across it, she smiled. "This one guys." She told the band before turning back to the crowd. "Lights please."

The lights went dark and a spotlight shown on Kim and Tommy. The music started and Tommy pulled Kim close, resting his hands on her waist as hers went around his neck.

[Verse 1]_  
I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do  
I will be strong, I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on  
A new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning, yeah_

"This is actually one of my favorite songs," Kim whispered.

"Yeah?" Tommy smiled, "well, from now, it's our song."

"Yeah?" Kim grinned.

"Yeah," Tommy nodded before kissing her briefly. Around them, their classmates watched on, seeing the love shining between the two, knowing that they were a couple that had found the one for them.

[Chorus]_  
I want to stand with you on a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me_

"You mean everything to me Kim," Tommy told her, his eyes shining with love. "I didn't think it was possible to find the one you're meant to be with so quickly, but I know in my heart that you're it for me."

"I feel the same way Tommy," Kim's eyes filled with tears as she listened to the man she loved more than anything. "I've seen the way my parents are and ever since I was a little girl, all I ever wanted was that. I wanted my own prince, and I found him…in you."

[Verse 2]_  
And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,  
I'll make a wish send it to heaven, then make you want to cry  
The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty  
That we're surrounded, by the comfort and protection of  
The highest powers, in lonely hours the tears devour you_

"She looks so beautiful," Andros smiled as he watched his sister. "And so happy."

"I know," Karone smiled. "You can see how much they love each other just by looking at them."

"They're each other's other half," Kat said softly, though her friends heard her. "I knew it from the moment I met her. She completes and complements him in a way I never did or could."

"Do you wish it was you?" Billy asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"At one point I did," Kat admitted, "but now I don't. Even if all this mess with Michael hadn't happened, they still would've ended up together. They belong together, more so than anyone I've ever met. Kim and Tommy found their soul mates in each other…and I found mine in you."

"They were lucky," Hayley smiled.

"We all are," Trini spoke up, "we all found our soul mates."

"I agree with that," Jason kissed Trini on her cheeks before turning back to watch his two friends.

[Chorus]  
_I want to stand with you on a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me_

[Bridge]_  
Oh can you see it baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'Cause it's standing right before you  
All that you need will surely come_

Kim and Tommy danced, oblivious to everything around but each other.

[Verse 1]_  
I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do_

"I love you so much," Tommy said as he twirled Kim. "When I look at my future and where I want to be in five, ten, twenty years, all I see is you."

"Tommy," Kim said.

"You're the only one I want to be with Beautiful," Tommy smiled, "the only one I can see spending the rest of my life with. I want to be everything for you."

"Tommy," Kim gasped; her heart was beating as she heard the deeper meaning behind his words and suddenly, she felt she knew where he was going. "Are you—

"No," Tommy shook his head, "not yet."

"Oh," Kim felt some disappointment.

"It's not a proposal," Tommy chuckled, "it's a promise; a promise to be together always, a promise that in the future, when we're ready, I will ask you to be my wife." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box, vaguely aware of the shocked and delighted gasps coming from the crowd.

Tears flowed down Kim's cheeks like a gentle river when she saw it. He opened it and she couldn't help the gasp when she saw the ring.

"Yes," Kim smiled, "my answer will be yes."

Tommy took the ring out and put it on her finger.

Kim squealed with joy and pulled him into a kiss. Tommy deepened the kiss and lifted Kim off the ground, spinning them around.

[Chorus]  
_I want to stand with you on a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me_

Tommy placed Kim back on the ground and broke the kiss to look at her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kim replied before they kissed once more.

_I want to stand with you on a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever until the sky falls down on me_

_(Vocalizing)_

The moment the song ended, the gym erupted into a deafening applause; the pure love and devotion in Kim and Tommy's eyes moved them and most wished they would find a similar happiness like they had.

"Our King and Queen!" Peyton said as she wiped her tears; she knew she had made the right decision when she chose that song.

The last song, Percy Sledge's _When a Man Loves a Woman, _played and the students enjoyed themselves. When it was over, everyone made their way to Ernie's for the after prom party of games and gifts; it truly was the most memorable and exciting night.

_(Graduation)_

It was June 5th, just over three weeks after prom, and it was graduation day. The students had the day off as the seniors prepared for the afternoon ceremony. The auditorium was arranged with the senior colors, the chairs fixed how they were supposed to be.

Hours passed and soon, it was starting time; slowly, the auditorium began to fill with students and parents. The seniors were outside in the hall talking with friends and parents, but before they knew it, it was time to start the ceremony. As the processional march played, the seniors entered the auditorium one by one, walking to the front of the stage where they sat down.

The principal did the standard ceremony; awarding certificates to the students that deserved them. Soon enough, the valedictorian, who was Billy, gave his speech and then it was time to hand out the diplomas.

"Marie Bennett," Principal Kaplan called out. "Aisha Campbell…Tanya Sloan-Campbell…"

As the students went up and accepted their diplomas, flashes of light brightened the room as the parents snapped pictures. Soon enough, all the students had received their diplomas and Principal Kaplan started in on his final speech.

"…And in conclusion," Principle Kaplan wrapped up his speech. "I would just like to say that these students will be missed as these last four years were some of the best. And I offer my good luck and gratitude to them all. So without further ado, let's give a huge hand to our graduating class of 1998. Congratulations guys."

The crowd erupted into cheers and the seniors stood and threw their caps into the air. The teens hugged all their friends before moving to where their parents were.

"Congratulations guys," Caroline laughed as she pulled her kids each into a hug.

"Thanks mom," Andros smiled.

"So," Selene looked at the kids, "You guys are finally done with high school, how does it feel?"

"Freeing," Adam said and the teens laughed.

"This time next year," Selene nudged Ashley, "it'll be your turn."

"Mom," Ashley groaned, "don't spoil the day."

"Sorry sweetie," Selene chuckled as everyone laughed.

"What are you guys going to do today?" Soo Yung asked.

"Hang out Ernie's," Rocky grinned.

"As always," Maria shook her head at her son. "I swear, you kids spend more time there than you do at home."

"It's like our home away from home," Tanya grinned and the others agreed.

"We're finally done with high school," Kim threw her arm around Trini and Aisha's necks.

"Now," Trini wrapped an arm around Kim's waist, "now, unto college."

"All of us at UCLA," Aisha wrapped an arm around Kim's, touching Trini's, "this is going to be great."

"I can't wait," all three girls said as one. Their friends walked over to them and joined in the hug, allowing their parents to take group pictures.

They were closing one chapter of their lives and getting ready to start the other; they were saying goodbye to the high school days and hello to their college one. They didn't know where life would take them, but they knew one thing for sure, they would always be friends and always be there for each other.

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**A/N 2: **so what did you guys think? The theme for Prom is a combination of ideas from both Falcon4Crane and Angelrei06. I hope that you both like the way I used the ideas you gave and Falcon4Crane, I definitely hope you like the scene with Tommy and Kim at the prom.

* * *

Remember, read and review and let me know what you think.

Kila


	15. Final Thoughts

Hey guys (ok, I forgot to add this yesterday...oops);

Ok, I just wanna say thanks to everyone that followed this story; you guys made writing it so much fun. To everyone who read, reviewed, had this story and me on the favourite list...you guys made me happy.

I'm sorry that it took so long to get some chapters out and I apologize for that and that leads me into this;

For all my multi-chapter fics, it will be a while before I post anything. For all my stories (_Maligore's Daughter __***sequel to RAN which is the sequel to SD***__, A Love Story, Power Rangers Rewrite, A Dino Destiny *__**sequel to HBC***__, LA: Reefside __***sequel to LA: AG***__) _I want them to be either finished or almost finished before posting, so that way, you guys won't have to wait too long for each update.

In the meantime, there are a couple of one-shots that I'm working on and I will post them for you guys to enjoy.

Again, to everyone who loved this story, I'm glad you did and I'm glad you stuck by it and me.

Kila

P.S.: the sequel for this story will be about Conner/Kira, but will have information throughout to show how T/K and the others' lives went. And I'm sorry about the ending; I re-wrote it a few times, but it still came out like that...sorry...


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